
F j 5^?4-Z 



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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 




Charlotte M. Yonge. 



39089 



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Library of Congress 

Two CoPi£s Received 
AUG 27 1900 

C»p>right entry 

FIRST copy. 

2nd Copy Ddivered to 

ORDER DIVISION 
-SEP_8I900 






Copyright, 1900, by W. B. Conkey Company. 



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TO 

E. B. H. 

THIS LITTLE BOOK 
IS MOST LOVINGLY DEDICATED. 



EDITED BY 
CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 



PREFACE. 



This little book is a translation from a col- 
lection of devotional thoughts published in 
France under the title of "Paillettes d'Or. " 
It is necessarily a selection, since the gold dust 
which suits French readers requires a fresh 
sifting for the English ; but the value of most 
of the thoughts seems to me well to deserve 
the term of gold. There are many who will 
much enjoy having this little collection on their 
table, so as to be able to take up and dwell 
upon some one of its grains at leisure times 
throughout the day's business. 

C. M. YONGE. 

Feb. i2th, 1880. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the South of France, during the summer, 
little children and old and infirm poor, who 
are incapable of hard work, in order to earn 
a livelihood, employ themselves in searching 
the beds of dried-up rivers for *' Paillettes 
d'Or," or golden dust, which sparkles in the 
sun, and which the water carries away as it 
flows. What is done by these poor people and 
little children for the gold dust God has sown 
in those obscure rivers we would do with 
those counsels and teachings which God has 
sown almost everywhere, which sparkle, en- 
lighten, and inspire for a moment, then disap- 
pear, leaving but regret that the thought did 
not occur to collect and treasure them. 

Who is there that has not experienced at 
some time in his life those teachings so soft 
and gentle, yet so forcible, which make the 
heart thrill, and reveal to it suddenly a world 
of peace, joy, and devotion? 

It may have been but a word read in a book, 
or a sentence overheard in conversation, which 
7 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

may have had for us a twofold meaning, and, 
in passing, left us touched with an unknown 
power. 

It was the smile on the lips of a beloved one 
whom we knew to be sorrowful, that spoke to 
us of the sweet joy of resignation. 

It was the open look of an innocent child 
that revealed to us all the beauty of frankness 
and simplicity. 

Oh ! if we had but treasured all the rays of 
light that cross our path, and sparkle but for 
a moment ; oh ! if we had but engraved them 
on our hearts ! what a guide and comfort they 
would have been to us in the days of discour- 
agement and sorrow ; what counsels to guide 
our actions, what consolations to soothe the 
broken heart! 

How many new means of doing good! 

It is this simple work of gathering a little 
from every source — from nature, from books, 
above all from mankind itself — that is the 
intention of one of your fellow-creatures, dear 
souls, you who long so to make your lives more 
holy and devout! 

And in the same way as the gold dust, gath- 
ered and accumulated from the river's bed, was 
the means of bringing a little profit to the 



INTRODUCTION. 9 

hearth, so would we endeavor to carry a little 
joy to your hearts and peace to your souls. 

Gather then these little counsels: gather 
them with watchfulness: let them for a mo- 
ment penetrate deep into your heart; then 
scatter them abroad again, that they may go 
with their good words to the help of others. 

They will not be importunate, will not even 
ask to be preserved ; they do not desire fame ; 
all that they seek is to convey a transient 
blessing. 



GOLD DUST. 



I. 

"My Lord!" exclaimed once a devout soul, 
**give me every day a little work to occupy 
my mind; a little suffering to sanctify my 
spirit; a little good to do to comfort my 
heart." 

II. 

If by our deeds we become saints, true it is 
that by our deeds also we shall be condemned. 

Yes, it is little by little that we press onward, 
either toward salvation or eternal ruin; and 
when at last we reach the gate of glory, or 
that of perdition, the cry escapes our lips, 
•'Already!" 

The first backward step is almost impercept- 
ible ; it was those tiny flakes of snow, seeming 
to melt as they touch the earth, but falling one 
upon another, that have formed that immense 
mass which seems ready to fall and crush us. 

Ah ! if I tried to trace back, to what first led 
to that act of sin ; the thought that produced 



12 GOLD DUST. 

the desire ; the circumstance that gave rise to 
the thought, I should find something almost 
imperceptible; perhaps a word with a double 
ente7idre I had heard, and at which I had 
smiled, a useless explanation, sought out of 
mere curiosity; a hasty look, cast I knew not 
wherefore, and which conscience prompted 
me to check; a prayer neglected, because it 
wearied me; work left undone, while I in- 
dulged in some day-dream, that flitted before 
my fancy, . . . 

A week later, the same things occur, but 
this time more prolonged ; the stifled voice of 
conscience is hushed. 

Yet another week. . . . Alas! let us stop 
there; each can complete the sad story for 
himself, and it is easy to draw the practical 
conclusion. 

III. 

A young girl, in one of those moments when 
the heart seems to overflow with devotion, 
wrote thus in her journal: — *'If I dared, I 
would ask God why I am placed in the world ; 
what have I to do? I know not ; my days are 
idly spent, and I do not even regret them. 
... If I might but do some good to myself, 
or another, if only for the short space of a 
minute in each day!" A few days later, when 



GOLD DUST. 13 

in a calmer mood she re-read these lines, she 
added, *'Why, nothing is easier! I have but 
to give a cup of cold water to one of Christ's 
little ones." 

Yes, even so small a gift as that, but given 
in God's Name, may be of service, and gives 
you the right to hope for a reward in heaven. 
Even less than that: a word of advice; some- 
thing lent to another ; a little vexation patiently 
borne; a prayer for a friend, offered to God; 
the fault or thoughtlessness of another repaired 
without his knowledge; God will recompense 
it all a thousand-fold ! 

IV. 

Alms given in secret ; that is the charity 
which brings a blessing. What sweet enjoy- 
ment, to be able to shed a little happiness 
around us! 

What an easy and agreeable task is that of 
trying to render others happy. 

Father! if I try to please and imitate Thee 
thus, wilt Thou indeed bless me? Thanks!^ 
thanks! be unto Thee. 

V. 

Is it fair, always to forget all the good, or 
kindness shown to us, by those with whom we 
live, for the sake of one little pain they may 



14 GOLD DUST. 

have caused us, and which, most likely, was 
quite unintentional on their part? 

VI. 

When you sometimes find in books, advice or 
example, that you think may be of service, 
you take care to copy, and consult it as an 
oracle. Do as much for the good of your soul. 
Engrave in your memory, and even write 
down, the counsels and precepts that you hear, 
or read .... then, from time to time, study 
this little collection, which you will not prize 
the less that you have made it all yourself. 

Books written by others in time become 
wearisome to us, but of those we write our- 
selves we never tire. And it will be yours, this 
collection of thoughts chosen because you like 
them: counselsyou have given yourself : moral 
receipts you have discovered, and of which, 
perhaps, you have proved the efficacy. 

Happy soul ! that each day reaps its harvest. 

VII. 

Do you wish to live at peace with all the world 
Then practice the maxims of an influential 
man, who when asked, after the Revolution, 
how he managed to escape the executioner's 
axe, replied, "I made myself of no reputation, 
and kept silence." 



GOLD DUST. 15 

Would you live peaceably with the members 
of your family, above all with those who ex- 
ercise a certain control of you? Use the means 
employed by a pious woman, who had to live 
with one of a trying temper, and which she 
summed up in the following words — 

"I do everything to please her; 

" I fulfil all my duties with a smiling face, 
never revealing the trouble it causes me ; 

"I bear patiently everything that displeases 
me; 

'*I consult her on many subjects of which, 
perhaps, I may be the better judge." 

Would you be at peace with your con- 
science? Let your Guardian Angel find you at 
each moment of the day doing one of these 
four things which once formed the rule of a 
saintly life: — (i.) praying; (ii.) laboring; (iii.) 
striving after holiness; (iv.) practicing 
patience. 

Would you become holy? try to add to the 
above actions the following virtues; — method 
— faith — spiritual combat — perseverance. 

Finally, if you would live in an atmosphere 
of benevolence, make it your study to be 
always rendering others service, and never 
hesitate to ask the same of them. 

In offering help, you make a step toward 



16 GOLD DUST. 

gaining a friend ; in asking it, you please by 
this mark of your confidence. The result of this 
will be a constant habit of mutual forbearance, 
and a fear to be disobliging in matters of 
greater importance. 

VIII. 

When teaching or working with others, 
never laugh or make fun of their awkward- 
ness. If it is caused by stupidity, your laugh- 
ter is uncharitable: if from ignorance, your 
mockery is, to say the least, unjust. 

xeach the unskilful with gentleness; show 
him the right way to work: and God, Who 
sees all your efforts, will smile on your 
patience, and send you help in all your diffi- 
culties. 

.^^■' IX. 

When the heart is heavy, and we suffer from 
depression or disappointment, how thankful 
we should be that we still have work and 
prayer left to comfort us. Occupation forcibly 
diverts the mind ; prayer sweetly soothes the 
soul. 

"Then," writes one who had been sorely 
tried, "I tell my griefs to God'^ as a child 
tells its troubles to its mother; and when I 
have told all I am comforted, and repeat with 



GOLD DUST. 17 

a lightened heart, the prayer of S. Francoise 
de Chantal (who certainly suffered more 
than I), 'Thy will be done for ever and ever, O 
Lord, without if or but, ' . . , . and then for fear 
a murmur may arise in my heart, I return 
immediately to my work, and become absorbed 
in occupation. ' ' 

X. 

He who is never satisfied with anything, satis- 
fies no one. 

XL 

Are there many who try to be of some little 
help or comfort to the souls with whom they 
are brought in contact through life? 

Poor souls, that, perhaps have no longer 
strength or will to manifest the ging they 
experience, and who languish for vvc*iit of help, 
without being aware that they are perishing. 
O, mingle sometimes with your earthly help 
the blessed Name of God ; and if there remain 
one little spark of life in the soul, that Name 
will re-kindle it, and carry comfort and resigna- 
tion; even as air breathed into the mouth of 
any onea*'*^arently dead, rushes into the lungs, 
and revives the sufferer, if but one breath of life 
remains. 

Souls! Souls! I yearn for souls! — This is 

2 Gold Dust 



18 GOLD DUST. 

the cry of the Savior ; and for their sakes He 
died upon the Cross, and remains until eter- 
nity their Intercessor. 

Souls ! Souls ! I must win Souls ! — It is the 
cry of Satan ; and to obtain them he scatters 
gold to tempt them, multiplies their pleasures 
and vanities, and gives the praise that only in- 
fatuates. 

Souls ! Souls ! we long for Souls ! — Let this 
be our aim, readers and writers of these our 
*' Paillettes;" and for the sake of even one soul, 
let not fatigue, expense, or the criticism of the 
world deter us. . . . 

XII. 

How few there are who would thus dare to 
address God each night :—" Lord, deal with me 
to-morrow as I have this day dealt with others 
. . . those to whom I was harsh, and from mal- 
ice or to show my own superiority exposed 
their failings ; others to whom from pride or 
dislike I refused to speak, — one I have avoided 
— another I cannot like because she displeases 
me — I will not forgive — to whom I will not 
show any kindness. " . . . . 

And yet, let us never forget, that sooner or 
later, God will do unto us even as we have 
done unto them. 



GOLD DUST. 19 

XIII. 

*' Grant me, O Lord," said a humble soul, 
'*that I may pass unnoticed through the 
world. ' ' 

This should be the wish, or rather the aim 
of all true devotion. 

Small virtues require the praise of man to 
sustain them, just as little children require en- 
couragement to walk or stand alone. 

But true virtue goes quietly through the 
world, scattering good around, and performing 
noble deeds, without even the knowledge that 
what it does is heroic. 

XIV. 
Schantal, one day, was excusing herself to 
S. Francois de Sales for having spoken hastily 
to some one, on the plea that it was in the 
cause of justice. The Saint replied, "You have 
been more just than righteous; but we should 
be more righteous than just." 

XV. 

A devout woman once wrote thus: "In my 
own family, I try to be as little in the way as 
possible, satisfied with everything, and never 
to believe for a moment that any one means 
unkindly toward me. " 

"If people are friendly and kind to me, I en- 



20 GOLD DUST. 

joy it ; if they neglect me, or leave me, I am 
always happy alone. It all tends to my one 
aim, forgetfulness of self, in order to please 
God." 

XVI. 

Learning is not without its effect upon the 
soul ; it either lends it wings, to bear it up to 
God, or leaves behind it tiny sparks, which, lit- 
tle by little consume the whole being. 

If you would ascertain all the good, or ill, 
you have derived from all those hours devoted 
to historians, poets, novelists, or philosophers, 
put to yourself these questions: Since acquir- 
ing this knowledge, am I wiser? am I better? 
am I happier? 

Wiser? —that is to say more self -controlled, 
less the slave of my passions, less irritated by 
small vexations, braver in bearing misfortunes, 
more careful to live for eternity? 

Better? — More forbearing toward others, 
more forgiving, less uncharitable, more reticent 
in exposing the faults of others, more solicitous 
for the happiness of those around me? 

Happier? — That would mean more contented 
with my station in life, striving to derive all 
possible benefits from it, to beautify rather 
than to alter it? 



GOLD DUST. 21 

Have I more faith in God, and more calm- 
ness and resignation in all the events of life? 

If you cannot reply in the affirmative, then 
examine your heart thoroughly, and you will 
find there, stifling the good that God has im- 
planted, these three tyrants that have obtained 
dominion over you : — (i.) Pride, (2.) Ambition, 
(3.) Self-conceit. 

From them have sprung: — dissatisfaction 
and contempt of your life and its surroundings, 
restlessness, a longing for power and domin- 
ion over others, malice, habitual discontent, 
and incessant murmurings. Have you any 
further doubts? then inquire of those with 
whom you live. 

Ah ! if this be indeed the sad result, then 
whatever may be your age, close, oh ! close 
those books, and seek once more those two 
elements of happiness you ought never to have 
forsaken, and which, had you made them the 
companions of your study, would have kept 
you pure and good. 

I refer to prayer and manual labor. 

xvn. 

Listen to the story of a simple shepherd, 
given in his own words: — *'I forget now who 
it was that once said to me: Jean Baptiste, you 



22 GOLD DUST. 

are very poor? — True. — If you fell ill, your 
wife and children would be destitute? — True. 
And then I felt anxious and uneasy for the rest 
of the day. 

**At Evensong, wiser thoughts came to me, 
and I said to myself: Jean Baptiste, for more 
than thirty years you have lived in the world, 
you have never possessed anything, yet still 
you live on, and have been provided each day 
with nourishment, each night with repose. 
Of trouble God has never sent you more than 
your share. Of help, the means have never 
failed you. To whom do you owe all this? 
To God. Jean Baptiste, be no longer ungrate- 
ful, and banish those anxious thoughts; for 
what could ever induce you to think that the 
Hand from which you have already received 
so much, would close against you when you 
grow old, and have greater need of help? I 
finished my prayer, and felt at peace." 
XVIII. 

The work of the Sower is given to each of us 
in this world, and we fall short of our duty 
when we let those with whom we are brought 
in contact leave us without having given them 
a kind thought, or pious impression. 

Nothing is so sad as the cry, "I am useless!" 
happily none need ever be so. 



GOLD DUST. 23 

A kind word, a gentle act, a modest demean- 
or, a loving smile, are as so many seeds that 
we can scatter every moment of our lives, and 
^"hich will always spring up and bear fruit. 

Happy are those, who have many around 
them . . . they are rich in opportunities, and 
may sow plenteously. 

XIX. 

Few positions in life are so full of importun- 
ities as that of the mother of a family, or mis- 
tress of a house. She may have a dozen 
interruptions while writing one letter or set- 
tling an account. What holiness, what self- 
control is needed to be always calm and 
unruffled amid these little vexations, and never 
to manifest the slightest impatience! 

Leaving the work without apparent annoy- 
ance, replying with a smile upon the lips, 
awaiting patiently the end of a long conversa- 
tion, and finally returning calmly to the yet 
unfinished work, — all this is the sign of a rec- 
ollected soul, and one that waits upon God. 

Oh! what blessings are shed around them by 
such patient souls . . , but, alas! how rarely 
they are to be met with! 
XX. 

There are times in one's life when all the 
world seems to turn agfainst us. Our motives 



24 GOLD DUST. 

are misunderstood, our words misconstrued, a 
malicious smile or an unkind word reveals to 
us the unfriendly feelings of others. Our ad- 
vances are repulsed, or met with icy coldness; 
a dry refusal arrests on our lips the offer of 
help. ... 

Oh! how hard it all seems, and the more so, 
that we cannot divine the cause. 

Courage, patience, poor disconsolate one! 
God is making a furrow in your heart, where 
He will surely sow His grace. 

It is rare when injustice, or slights patiently 
borne, do not leave the heart at the close of 
the day filled with marvelous joy and peace. 

It is the seed God has sown, springing up 
and bearing fruit. 

XXI. 

That which costs little, is of little worth. 
This thought should make us tremble. In our 
self-examination we may experience at times a 
certain satisfaction in noticing the little vir- 
tues we may possess, above all, those, that ren- 
der us pleasing in the eyes of others. 

For instance, we may like to pray at a cer- 
tain place, with certain sentiments; and we 
think ourselves devout; we are gentle, polite, 
and smiling toward one person in particular; 



GOLD DUST. 25 

patient with those we fear, or in whose good 
opinion we would stand; we are devoted, 
charitable, generous, because the heart expe- 
riences an unspeakable pleasure in spending and 
being spent for others ; we suffer willingly at 
the hands of some one we love, and then say, 
we are patient ; we are silent because we have 
no inclination to speak; shunning society, 
because we fail to shine there, and then fancy 
that we love retirement. 

Take these virtues that give you such self- 
satisfaction, one by one, and ask yourself at 
what sacrifice, labor, or cost, above all, with 
what care you have managed to acquire them. 
. . . Alas ! you will find that all the patience, 
affability, generosity and piety are but as 
nought, springing from a heart puffed up with 
pride. It costs nothing, and it is worthless. 

As self-sacrifice, says De Maistre, is tht 
basis and essence of virtue, so those virtues are 
the most meritorious that have cost the great- 
est effort to attain. 

Do not look with so much pride on this col- 
lection of virtues, but rather bring yourself to 
account for your faults. Take just one, the 
first that comes, impatience, sloth, gossip, un- 
charitableness, sulkiness, whatever it may be, 
and attack it bravely. 



26 GOLD DUST. 

It will take at least a month, calculating 
upon three victories every day, not, indeed, to 
eradicate it — a fault is not so short-lived — but 
to prevent its attaining dominion over you. 

That one subdued, then take another. It is 
the work of a lifetime ; and truly to our faults 
may we apply the saying: — *'Quand il n'y en 
a plus, il y en a encore. " 

*' Happy should I think myself," said St. 
Francis de Sales, "if I could rid myself of my 
imperfections but one quarter of an hour pre- 
vious to my death. 

XXII. 
Before Holy Communion, 

JESUS. 

My child, it is not wisdom I require of thee, 
it sufficeth if thou lovest Me well, speak to 
Me as thou wouldst talk to thy mother if she 
were here, pressing thee to her heart. 

Hast thou none, for whom thou wouldst in- 
tercede? Tell Me the names of thy kindred 
and thy friends ; and at the mention of each 
name, add what thou wouldst have Me do for 
them. Ask much, fervently; the generous 
hearts that forget themselves for others are 
very dear unto Me. 

Tell Me of the poor thou wouldst succor, 



GOLD DUST. 27 

the sick thou hast seen suffering, the sinful 
thou wouldst reclaim, the estranged thou 
wouldst receive to thy heart again. 

Pray fervently for all mankind. 

Remind Me of My promise to hear all pray- 
ers that proceed from the heart ; and the prayer 
offered for one who loves us, and is dear to us, 
is sure to be heartfelt and fervent. 

Hast thou no favors to ask of Me? Give Me, 
if thou wilt, a list of all thy desires, all the 
wants of thy soul. Tell Me, simply, of all 
thy pride, sensuality, self-love, sloth; and ask 
for My help in thy struggles to overcome 
them. 

Poor child! be not abashed; many that had 
the same faults to contend against, are now 
Saints in heaven. 

They cried to Me for help, and by degrees 
they conquered. 

Do not hesitate to ask for temporal bless- 
ings, health, intellect, success — I can bestow 
it, and never fail to do so, where it tends to 
make the soul more holy. What wouldst thou 
this day, My child. ... If thou didst but 
know how I long to bless thee ! . . . 

Hast thou no interests which occupy thy 
mind? 

Tell Me of them all. ... Of thy vocation 



28 GOLD DUST. 

What dost thou think? What dost thou desire? 
Wouldst thou give pleasure to thy mother, thy 
family, those in authority over thee, what 
wouldst thou do for them? 

And for Me, hast thou no ardor? Dost thou 
not desire to do some good to the souls of 
those thou lovest, but who are forgetful of Me? 

Tell Me of one in whom thou hast interest; 
the motive that actuates: — 'the means thou 
wouldst employ. 

Lay before Me thy failures, and I will teach 
thee the cause. 

Whom wouldst thou have to help thee? The 
hearts of all are in My keeping, and I lead 
them gently, wheresoever I will. Rest as- 
sured, all who are needful to thee, I will place 
around thee. 

O! My child, tell Me of all thy weariness: 
who has grieved thee? treated thee with con- 
tempt? wounded thy self-love? 

Tell Me all, and thou wilt end by saying, 
all is forgiven, all forgotten . . . and I, surely 
I will bless thee! . . . 

Art thou fearful of the future? — Is there in 
thy heart that vague dread, that thou canst not 
define, but which nevertheless torments thee? 

Trust in My Providence ... I am present 



GOLD DUST. 29 

with thee, I know all, and I will never leave 
thee, nor forsake thee. 

Are there around thee, those seemingly less 
devout than formerly; whose coldness or in- 
difference have estranged thee from them, 
without real cause? ... 

Pray for them — I can draw them back to 
thee, if they are necessary to the sanctification 
of thy soul. 

What are the joys, of which thou hast to tell 
Me? 

Let Me share thy pleasures: tell Me of all 
that has occurred since yesterday, to comfort 
thee, please thee, to give thee joy! 

That fear suddenly dispelled — that unex- 
pected success — that token of affection — the 
trial that proved thee stronger than thou 
thoughtest. . . . 

My child, I sent it all ; why not show some 
gratitude, and simply thank thy Lord? 

Gratitude draws down a blessing, and the 
Great Benefactor likes His children to remind 
him of His Goodness. 

Hast thou no promises to make to Me? — I 
can read thy heart — thou knowest it; thou 
mayst deceive man, but thou canst never de- 
ceive God. Be sincere. 

Art thou resolved to avoid all occasions of 



30 GOLD DUST. 

sin? — to renounce that which tempts thee— 
never again to open the book that excites thine 
imagination? — Not to bestow thine affection 
on one who is not devout, and whose presence 
steals the peace from thy soul? 

Wilt thou go now, and be loving and for- 
bearing toward one who has vexed thee? . . . 

Good, My child! . . . Go, then, return to 
thy daily toil; be silent, humble, resigned, 
charitable — then return to Me with a heart yet 
more loving and devoted, and I shall have for 
thee fresh blessings. 

XXIII. 

"There will soon be none left," said S. 
Francis de Sales, "who will love poor sinners, 
but God and myself. ' ' 

Oh! why do we fail in love toward those 
poor sinful ones! Are they not very much to 
be pitied? 

When they are prosperous, pray for them ; 
but when misfortune comes (and trouble 
weighs heavily upon the wicked), death depriv- 
ing them of the only beings they did not hate 
— afflicting them with a loathsome disease — 
delivering them up to scorn and misery — oh! 
then, when all this comes upon them, love 
them freely. It is by affection alone that we 



GOLD DUST. 31 

can reach the worst characters, and the souls 
that are steeped in sin ! 

How many have died impenitent, who if only 
some one had cared for them, and shown them 
love, might have become at last saints in 
heaven. Oh ! the sins that are committed ; oh ! 
the souls we suffer to wander from God, and 
all because we are so wanting in love toward 
them. 

XXIV. 

Let us always be on our guard against Prej- 
udice. 

Some women have a way (of which they 
themselves are unconscious) of turning the cold 
shoulder, to some one member of their family. 

For what reason? they cannot say, simply 
because the cause is never very clearly defined, 
and in this lies all the mischief. 

Perhaps an air of indifference, they may 
have fancied, and which arose merely from 
fatigue, or trouble that could not be confided 
to them : 

A word misinterpreted, because heard at a 
time when they felt discontented, and their 
morbid imagination made everything appear 
in a false light: 

Some scandal, to which they ought never to 



32 GOLD DUST. 

have listened, or at least, should have endeav- 
ored to fathom, going direct to the person con- 
cerned and seeking an explanation. . . . 

And, behold the result ; they in their turn 
become cold, reserved and suspicious, misinter- 
preting the slightest gesture ... in a few 
days arises a coldness, from the feeling they 
are no longer beloved; then follow contempt 
and mistrust ; finally, a hatred that gnaws, and 
rends the very heart. 

It all springs up imperceptibly, till at last 
the family life is one of bitterness and misery. 

They console, or better still, excuse them- 
selves, with the thought of their suffering, 
never considering how much pain they give to 
others, nor where the fault lies. 

XXV. 

Let it rest ! Ah ! how many hearts on the 
brink of anxiety and disquietude, by this 
simple sentence, have been made calm and 
happy ! 

Some proceeding has wounded us, by its 
want of tact ; let it rest, no one will think of it 
again. 

A harsh or unjust sentence irritates us ; let 
it rest; whoever may have given vent to it, 
will be pleased to see it is forgotten. 




(e^ 



/ ' 



-J 



The young Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, 

Gold Dust. 



GOLD DUST. 33 

A painful scandal is about to estrange us from 
an old friend; let it rest, and thus preserve our 
charity and peace of mind. 

A suspicious look is on the point of cooling 
our affection ; let it rest ; and our look of trust 
will restore confidence. . . . 

Fancy ! we who are so careful to remove the 
briars from our pathway, for fear they should 
wound, yet take pleasure in collecting and 
piercing our hearts with the thorns that meet 
us in our daily intercourse with one another. 
How childish and unreasonable we are ! 

XXVI. 

Of all the means placed by Providence within 
our reach, whereby we may lead souls to Him, 
there is one, more blessed than all others — 
Intercessory Prayer. 

How often, in the presence of one deeply 
loved, but alas ! estranged from God, the heart 
of mother or wife has felt a sudden impulse to 
say an earnest word, propose an act of devotion, 
to paint in glowing colors the blessings of 
faith, and the happiness of virtue . . . and she 
has stopped, deterred by an irresistible fear of 
how the words may be received ; and she says 
to herself, poor woman: *' To-morrow I shall 
be braver. * * 

3 Gold Dust 



34 GOLD DUST. 

Poor mother! poor wife! go and tell to your 
Heavenly Father, all you would, but dare not 
say to the loved one who gives you so much 
pain. 

Lay that sin-sick soul before the Lord, as 
long ago they laid the paralytic man who could 
not, or perhaps would not, be led to Him. 

Plead for him, with the long-suffering Sav- 
ior, as you would plead with an earthly mas- 
ter, upon whom depended all his future wel- 
fare, and say *to Him simply: "Lord, have 
patience with him yet a little longer. " 

Tell God of all your anxiety, your discourage- 
ments, the means employed for success. 

Ask Him to teach you what to say, and how 
to act. One sentence learnt of God in prayer, 
will do more for the conversion of a soul, than 
all our poor human endeavors. That sentence 
will escape our lips involuntarily. We may 
not remember that we have said it, but it will 
sink deep into the heart, making a lasting 
impression, and silently fulfilling its mission. 

You are perhaps, surprised, after many years, 
to see such poor results. Ah ! how little can 
you judge! . . . 

Do you know what you have gained? In the 
first place, time, — often a physical impossibil- 
ity to sin, which you may attribute to chance, 



GOLD DUST. 35 

but which was, in reality, the work of Provi- 
dence ; and is it nothing, one sin the less, in 
the life of an immortal soul? . . . Then a 
vague uneasiness, which will soon allow of no 
rest — a confidence which may enable you to 
sympathize — more liberty left you for the exer- 
cise of religious acts — you no longer see the 
contemptuous smile at your acts of devotion. 
Is all this nothing? 

Ah ! if while on your knees, praying for the 
one you would have reconciled to God, you 
could but see what is passing in his soul ; the 
wrestlings, the remorse he strives vainly to 
stifle; if you could see the work of the Holy 
Spirit in the heart, gently, but firmly triumph- 
ing over the will, how earnestly, how inces- 
santly*, would you continue to pray ! 

Only have patience to wait — perseverance, 
not to grow weary. 

It is the want of patience, that often makes 
us exacting, toward those we desire to help. 

More haste, less speed, is an old saying; the 
more we are exacting, the less likely are we to 
succeed. 

Men like to act freely, and to have the credit 
of their actions. 

It is because we have not learnt to persevere, 
that the work seems never to progress. 



36 GOLD DUST. 

Courage then ! the ground may seem too dry 
for cultivation, but each prayer will be as a 
drop of water; the marble may be very hard, 
but each prayer is like the hammer's stroke, 
that wears away its roughness. 

XXVII. 

The sweet peace of God bears the outward 
token of resignation. 

When the Holy Spirit dwells within us every- 
thing seems bright. 

Everything may not be exactly as we would 
wish it, but we accept all, with a good grace. 
. . . For instance, some change, in our house- 
hold, or mode of living, upsets us. If God is 
with us, He will whisper: Yield cheerfully thy 
will — in a little while all will be forgotten. " 

Some command or employment wounds our 
pride; if God is with us, He will say to us: *'Be 
submissive, and I will come to thine aid." 

We may dislike a certain neighborhood; the 
society there may be repulsive to us, and we 
are about to become morbid; God will tell us 
to continue gracious and smiling, for He will 
recompense the little annoyances we may 
experience. If you would discern in whom 
God's Spirit dwells, watch that person, and 
notice whether you ever hear him murmur. 



GOLD DUST. 37 

XXVIII. 

I WANT TO BE HOLY. 

Heavenly Father, aid Thy child, who longs 
to become holy! 

But then I must be patient under humiliation 
— let myself be forgotten, and be even pleased 
at feeling myself set aside. 

Never mind ! I am resolved, I wish to be 
holy! 

But I must never excuse myself, never be 
impatient, never out of temper. 

Never mind! I am resolved, I wish to be 
holy! 

Then I must continually be doing violence to 
my feelings — submitting my will always to that 
of my superiors — never contentious — never 
sulky, finishing every work begun, in spite of 
dislike or ennui. 

Never mind ! I am resolved, I wish to be 
holy! 

But, then, I must be always charitable 
toward all around me; loving them, helping 
them to the utmost of my power, although it 
may cause me trouble. 

Never mind! I am resolved, I wish to be 
holy! 

But I must constantly strive against the 



38 GOLD DUST. 

cowardice, sloth, and pride of my nature, 
renouncing the world, the vanity that pleases, 
the sensuality that rejoices me ; the antipathy 
that makes me avoid those I do not like. 

Never mind! I am resolved, I still wish to 
be holy ! 

Then, I shall have to experience long hours 
of weariness, sadness, and discontent. I shall 
often feel lonely, and discouraged. 

Never mind ! I am resolved, I wish to be 
holy ! for then I shall have Thee always with 
me, ever near me. Lord! help me, for I want 
to be holy ! 

HOW TO BECOME HOLY. 

Oh ! it is quite easy ! if I fulfil every duty, 
to the best of my ability ; and many who had 
no more to do than I, have become Saints. 

One day is the same as another. Prayer, 
worldly business, calls to be devout, charit- 
able, and faithful : these are the duties that 
each hour brings in its turn ; and if I am faith- 
ful in their fulfilment, God will be always 
ready to help me, and then what signifies a 
little ennui, pain, or misfortune? 

THE SANCTIFICATION OF DAILY DUTIES. 

I will perform them, as in God's sight, con- 
scious that He is present, and smiling on my 
efforts. 



GOLD DUST. • 39 

I will perform each, if I had but one to 
accomplish, striving to render it as perfect as 
possible. 

I will fulfil each duty, as if upon that one 
alone depended my salvation. 

MOTIVES FOR SANCTIFYING MY ACTIONS. 

God expects me to honor Him by that action. 

God has attached a special blessing to that 
action, and awaits its fulfilment to bestow it. 

God notes each action : and of them all here- 
after I must give an account. 

God will see that I love Him., if I strive to 
fulfil every duty, in spite of weariness and 
trouble. 

I honor God by this action, and I, poor, 
v\'eak, sinful child, am allowed to glorify Him, 
in place of those who blaspheme, and rebel 
against the Divine will. 

XXIX. 

They say there is nothing which communi- 
cates itself so quickly amongst the members of 
a family, as an expression of coldness or dis- 
content on the face of one of its members. It 
is like the frost that chills us. This is not 
altogether true; there is something which is 
communicated with equal rapidity, and greater 



40 GOLD DUST. 

force — I mean the smiling face, the beaming 
countenance, the happy heart. 

XXX, 

LITTLE WORRIES. 

There is not a day in our lives, that we are 
not distressed by some one of those number- 
less little worries that meet us at every step, 
and which are inevitable. 

The wound made may not be deep, but the 
constant pricks each day renewed, embitter 
the character, destroy peace, create anxiety, 
and make the family life, that otherwise would 
be so sweet and peaceful, almost unendurable. 

Life is full of these little miseries. Each 
hour brings with it its own trouble. 

Here are some of the little worries: — An 
impatient word escapes our lips, in the pres- 
ence of some one in whose estimation we would 
stand well. 

A servant does his work badly, fidgets us by 
his slowness, irritates us by his thoughtlessness, 
and his awkward blunders make us blush. 

A giddy child in its clumsiness breaks some- 
thing of value, or that we treasure on account 
of its associations : we are charged with a mes- 
sage of importance, and our f orgetf ulness makes 



GOLD DUST. 41 

us appear uncourteous, perhaps ungrateful: 
some one we live with is constantly finding 
fault, nothing pleases them. If, when night 
comes, we find we have not experienced these 
little worries, then we ought to be grateful to 
God. Each of these, and many more, are 
liable to befall us every day of our life. 

HOW TO BEAR LITTLE WORRIES. 

In the first place, expect them. Make them 
the subject of our morning prayers, and say to 
ourselves : Here is my daily cross, do I accept 
willingly? Surely! for it is God who sends it. 
After all . . . these little troubles, looked at 
calmly, what are they? Ah! if there were 
never any worse ! 

Secondly, we must be prepared for them. 
You know, if you wish to break the force of a 
blow falling on you, 5"ou naturally bend the 
body ; so let us act with regard to our souls. 

Accustom yourself, wrote a pious author, to 
stoop with sweet condescension, not only to 
exigencies (that is your duty) but to the simple 
wishes of those who surround you — the acci- 
dents which may intervene : you will find your- 
self seldom, if ever, crushed. 

To bend is better than to bear; to bear, is 
often a little hard ; to bend, implies a certain 



42 GOLD DUST. 

internal sweetness, that yields all constraint, 
sacrificing the wishes, even in holy things, 
when they tend to cause disagreements in the 
family circle. • 

Submission often implies an entire resigna- 
tion, to all that God permits. The soul that 
endures, feels the weight of its trouble. The 
soul that yields scarcely perceives it. 

Blest are those docile ones: they are those 
whom God selects, to work for Him. 

XXXI. 

TO OBTAIN PEACE. 

Approach the Blessed Sacrament, O restless 
soul in search of peace, and humbly kneeling 
there, pour forth bravely, slowly, and with 
earnest desire, the following pra5^er : — 

O Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, hear 
me! 
From the desire of being esteemed. 
From the desire of being loved, 
From the desire to be sought. 

Deliver me, Jesus. 
From the desire to be mourned. 
From the desire of praise. 
From the desire of preference. 
From the desire of influence. 
From the desire of approval, 



GOLD DUST. 43 

From the desire of authority, 
From the fear of humiliation, 
From the fear of being despised. 
From the fear of repulse, 
From the fear of calumny, 
From the fear of oblivion, 
From the fear of ridicule. 
From the fear of injury, 
From the fear of suspicion, 

Deliver me, Jesus. 
That others may be loved more than myselL 
Jesus grant this desire. 

That others may be more highly esteemed. 

That others may grow and increase in honor,. 

and I decrease. Jesus, grant me to desire it. 

That others may be employed, and I set 

aside. Jesus, grant me to desire this. 

That others may attract the praise, and my- 
self be forgotten. 

That others may be preferred in all. 
Grant me the utmost holiness of which I 
am capable, then let others be holier than 
myself. Jesus, grant me to desire it! 

Oh, if God hearkens, — and hearken He surely 
will, if your prayer has been sincere — what joy 
in your heart, what peace on your counte- 
nance, what sweetness will pervade your whole 
life! 



44 GOLD DUST. 

More than half one's troubles arise from an 
exaggerated idea of one's own importance, 
and the efforts we make to increase our posi- 
tion in the world. Lacordaire says that the 
sweetest thing on earth, is to be forgotten by- 
all, with the exception of those who love us. 
All else brings more trouble than joy, and as 
soon as we have completed our task here, and 
fulfilled our mission, the best thing for us to 
do, is to disappear altogether. 

Let us each cultivate carefully and joyously 
the portion of soil, Providence has committed 
to our care. Let us never be hindered, or dis- 
tracted by ambitious thoughts, that we could 
do better, or a false zeal tempting us to forsake 
our daily task with the vain desire to surpass 
our neighbors. . . . Let this one thought 
occupy our minds. To do well what is given 
lis to do, for this is all that God requires at our 
liands. It may be summed up in four words: 
— simply — zealously — cheerfully — completely. 

Then if we are slighted, misunderstood, 
maligned, or persecuted, what does it matter? 
these injuries will pass away ; but the peace 
and love of God will remain with us forever, 
the reward of our faith and patience. The 
love of God! who can describe all the joy, 
strength, and consolation it reveals? 



GOLD DUST. 45 

Never has human love, in its brightest 
dreams, been able to form any idea of all the 
sweetness, the love of God imparts to the soul, 
and which is brought still nearer to us in the 
Blessed Sacrament. 

I can well understand the words of a loving 
soul: "With heaven so near, and daily com- 
munion with our God, how can we ever re- 
pine!" 

XXXII. 
After Holy Communion. 

OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. 

O Jesus! it is Thou who biddest me say, 
Father! My Father! oh how that Name re- 
joices my heart ! My Father ! I can no longer 
feel alone, and whatever may happen to me 
this day I feel I am protected, comforted, be- 
loved. 

Jesus! let me dwell on the sweeetness of 
those words ; My Father ! I need not lift my 
eyes to heaven, Thou art within me, and 
where Thou dwellest heaven must be. 

Yes ! heaven is within me ! heaven with all 
its peace and love, and if I keep free from 
guile this day, my day will be one of heavenly 
joy, and in addition, the privilege of suffering 
for Thee. 



46 GOLD DUST. 

HALLOWED BE THY NAME. 

To hallow Thy Name, O Lord! is to pro- 
nounce it with reverence and awe. 

To-day I will pray more fervently — try to 
realize Thy Presence, Thy Goodness, Thy 
Love, and my heart shall be a sanctuary, into 
which nothing shall penetrate, that could be 
displeasing unto Thee. 

To hallow Thy name — is to call upon it fer- 
vently, to have it constantly upon my lips ; 
above all before taking an important step — 
when there are difficulties to be overcome, I 
will softly whisper the Invocation, which is 
the secret of all holy living! "Jesus, meek 
and humble of heart, have pity upon me. ' ' 

THY KINGDOM COME. 

O Jesus, Thy kingdom is within my heart, 
reign there in all Thy sovereignty and power, 
reign there absolutely! 

My King ! what dost Thou require of me to- 
day? Thy commandments, my rule of life, my 
daily duties, these are Thy commands that ^. 
will promise to obey — more than that, I will 
regard all in authority over me, as Thine 
Ambassadors, speaking to me in Thy Name. 
What matters the tone, or the harshness of the 
order? 



GOLD DUST. 47 

What does it signify if some unexpected 
command upsets all my previous plans? It is 
Thy Voice I hear, Thou Lord, Whom I will obey 
always, and in all things. Thy kingdom is 
also in the hearts of others; and there would 
I see Thee reigning. Then to whom can 
I speak of Thee this day? What counsels can 
I give? What moments may I seize, in which 
without wounding the feelings or parading my 
zeal, I may be allowed to speak a few words 
of piety? Lord! let me have the opportunity 
to help another to love Thee! 

THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. 

Yes! yes! Thy Will be done! Thy sweet 
all-perfect Will! 

What wilt Thou send me to-day? 

Humiliation? Provocation? Sufferings? A 
fresh rending of the heart? A disappointment? 
Shall I see myself misjudged, falsely sus- 
pected, despised? I accept beforehand, all 
that Thou sendest me, and if through weak- 
ness I weep, suffer it to be so — if I murmur, 
check me ; if I am vexed, correct me ; if hope- 
less, encourage me. 

Yes! yes! Let Thy sweet and holy Will be 
done! 

Even, O Lord, if to glorify Thee, I must be 



48 GOLD DUST. 

humiliated, suffering, useless and forsaken, 
still, Lord, stay not Thine Hand, I am wholly 
Thine. 

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. 

How blessed, O Lord, to depend only upon 
Thee. . . . behold me, Thy child, waiting 
with outstretched hand to receive Thy benefits. 

Grant me my temporal blessings ; clothing, 
nourishment, shelter. . . . but not too much 
of anything ; and let me have the happiness of 
sharing my blessings, with those poorer than 
myself, to-day. Grant me the blessing of 
intelligence, that I may read, or hear one of 
those golden counsels, that elevate the soul and 
lend wings to the thoughts. 

Grant me the loving heart, O my Father! 
that I may feel for a moment how I love Thee, 
and Thy love toward me ; let me sacrifice my- 
self for the welfare of another. Give me the 
bread of Life. The Holy Eucharist ! I have 
just received it, Lord! Grant me again ere 
long that great blessing. And then, give 
all these blessings to those I love, and who 
love me! 

FORGIVE us OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE 
THEM THAT TRESPASS AGAINST US. 

When I pronounce the word of pardon, what 
a weight seems lifted from my heart ! 



GOLD DUST. 4& 

I will not only banish every feeling of 
hatred, I will efface every painful remembrance. 
O God, if Thou forgivest me, as I forgive 
others, what mercy for me ! 

Thou seest I bear no malice, that I forget all 
injuries. . . . 

I have been offended by words; I forget 
them ; by actions, I forget them ; by omissions, 
thoughts, desires, they are all forgotten. 

Ah ! in all these ways I have offended Thee, 
and Thou wilt forget, even as I have forgotten. 

I will be very merciful, so that Thou mayst 
have mercy upon me. 

LEAD us NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER 

US FROM EVIL. 

Now, as I leave Thine altar, I go to en- 
counter temptation. 

O Savior! help me, keep me, and warn me 
of my danger ! 

Let me shun all occasions of evil, and if by 
weakness, or allurements, I am led into paths 
of sin, if I fall, oh ! rescue me speedily, that I 
may fall upon my knees, confessing my sin, 
and imploring pardon. 

Sin! this is the evil from which I beseech 
Thee to deliver me ; other troubles that may 
happen, I accept, they are sent to try me and 

4 Gold Dust 



50 GOLD DUST. 

to purify, and come from Thee; but sin, I 
have no pleasure in it ! Oh ! when in the hour 
of temptation I fall away, Lord! hearken to 
the cry that I now raise to Thee in all sincer- 
ity ; I will it not ! — it is not wilful ! I go from 
Thy Presence — but, Jesus! Thou art with 
me. In work, in prayer, in suffering, let all 
be done in Thee ! 

XXXTII. 

** Mother," asked the child, "since nothing 
is ever lost, where do all our thoughts go?" 
**To God," answered the mother gravely, 
**Who remembers them forever." 

"Forever!" said the child; he bent his head, 
and drawing closer to his mother, murmured : 
"I am frightened!" 

Which of us have not felt the same? 

XXXIV. 

One more solemn thought: How old are 
you? Nineteen. Have you reckoned the 
number of minutes, that have elapsed since 
your birth? The number is startling: nine 
millions, three hundred and thirty-three thou- 
sand, two hundred. . . . Each of those min- 
utes has flown to God; God has examined 
them, and weighed them, and for them you 
must give account. 



GOLD DUST. 61 

Each minute bears its own impress (as a coin 
bears the impress of the Sovereign), and only 
those marked with the image of God, will avail 
you for eternity. 

Is not this thought, one to make you 
tremble? 

'*I never could understand," writes Guerin, 
*'the feeling of security some have, that their 
works must find favor with God — as if our 
duties were confined to the narrow limits of 
this little world. To be a good son, states- 
man, or brother, is not all that is required of 
us; — God demands far more than this, from 
those for whom He has destined a crown of 
glory, hereafter." 

XXXV. 

One great characteristic of holiness, is never 
to be exacting — never to complain. 

Each complaint drags us down a degree, in 
our upward course. 

By complaining, I do not mean the simple 
imparting of our troubles to others. 

Complaint savors always of a little bad tem- 
per, and a slightly vindictive spirit. 

The saints were never exacting. 

Contented with their lot, they never desired 
anything that was withheld from them. 



62 GOLD DUST. 

"I have asked," said a holy soul, **for some- 
thing I thought needful; they have forgotten 
to answer me ; or perhaps would not bestow it. 
Why need I be disquieted? If it were really 
necessary, God would quickly provide means 
to obtain it. " How few could enter into this 
feeling, and yet it is but the echo of Christ's 
own words, *'Your Father in Heaven knoweth 
that ye have need of all these things. " 

XXXVI. 

Joy in life is like oil in a lamp. When the 
oil gets low, the wick is consumed, emitting 
a black vapor, and sending forth only a lurid 
glow, which does not give light. 

A life without joy, passes away unprofitably, 
shedding around it only gloom and sorrow. 

If every morning in a simple prayer — in 
those fifteen minutes' meditation (which only 
seems hard when we do not practice it) we 
opened our hearts to God, as we open our win- 
dows to the sun and air, God would fill it with 
that calm sweet joy, which elevates the soul, 
prevents it feeling the weight of troubles, and 
makes it overflow with benevolence. 

But joy does not mean levity, witty sayings, 
or repartee ... it is habitual serenity. 

Through a clear atmosphere, we can always 



GOLD DUST. 53 

see the sky — it seems so light and full of elas- 
ticity. 

A serene sky is always pure . . . clouds 
may pass across it, but they do not stain it. 

So is it, with the heart, that early in the 
morning opens to receive God's Peace. 

XXXVII. 

"You are never out of temper," was once 
said to a woman well known to be much tried 
at home — "is it that you do not feel the injus- 
tice, the annoyances?" "I feel them as much 
as you do," she replied, "but they do not hurt 
me." "You have then some special balm?" 
"Yes, for the vexations caused by people, I 
have affection; for those of circumstances, I 
have prayer; and over every wound that 
bleeds, I murmur the words: *Thy Will be 
done.' " 

XXXVIII, 

MY DAILY CROSS. 

If I have no cross to bear to-day, I shall not 
advance heavenward. 

A cross (that is anything that disturbs our 
peace) is the spur which stimulates, and with- 
out which, we should most likely remain sta- 



54 GOLD DUST. 

tionary, blinded with empty vanities, and 
sinking deeper into sin. 

A cross helps lis onward, in spite of our 
apathy and resistance. 

To lie quietly on a bed of down, may seem a 
very sweet existence, but pleasant ease and 
rest are not the lot of a Christian — if he would 
mount higher and higher, it must be by a 
rough road. 

Alas! for those who have no daily cross! 

Alas! for those who repine and fret against 
it! 

WHAT WILL BE MY CROSS TO-DAY? 

Perhaps that person with whom Providence 
has placed me and whom I dislike — whose look 
of disdain humiliates me — whose slowness 
worries me — who makes me jealous by being 
more beloved, more successful than myself — 
whose chatter and lightheartedness, even her 
very attentions to myself, annoy me. 

Or it may be that person, that I think has 
quarreled with me, and my imagination makes 
me fancy myself watched, criticized, turned 
into ridicule. 

She is always with me — all my efforts to sep- 
arate are frustrated — by some mysterious 
power, she is always present, always near. 



GOLD DUST. 55 

This is my heaviest cross ; the rest are light 
in comparison. 

Circumstances change — temptations dimin- 
ish — troubles lessen; but those people who 
trouble or offend us are an ever-present source 
of irritation. 

HOW TO BEAR THIS DAILY CROSS. 

Never manifest in any way, the ennui, the 
dislike, the involuntary shudder, that her 
presence produces; force myself to render her 
some little service — never mind if she never 
knows it — it is between God and myself. 
Try and say a little good of her every day, of 
her talents, her character, her tact, for there 
is all that to be found in her. 

Pray earnestly for her — even asking God to 
help me to love her and to spare her to me. 

Dear companion ! blessed messenger of God's 
mercy, you are without knowing it, the means 
for my sanctification, and I will not be un- 
grateful ! 

Yes! though the exterior be rude and repel- 
lent, yet to you I owe it, that I am kept from 
greater sin; — you, against whom my whole 
nature rebels . . . how I ought to love you ! 
XXXIX. 

Who is anxious for a beloved one's eternal 
welfare? 



56 GOLD DUST. 

We interest ourselves for their success, — 
their prosperity; we ask God to keep them 
from harm and misfortune; we try to start 
them well in the world — to make them of rep- 
utation — to procure them pleasure. 

To spare them trouble we sacrifice our own 
ease and enjoyment. . . . 

Oh! that is all very beautiful, very right; 
but what should we do for the soul? 

Do we praj'- to God that this soul may become 
humble, pure, devoted? 

Do we take as much pains to procure him 
the little devotional book, that will really help 
him, as we should to obtain a transient pleas- 
ure? 

Do we help him unseen toward that act of 
charity, humiliation, or self-renunciation? 
Have we courage not to spare the soul the 
trial, that we know will purify? 

Does it seem too hard for you? 

Ah ! then you do not know what real love is. 
Does not God love us? Yet, God lets us suffer; 
even sends the suffering. 

Love is given us, to help us onward, nearer 
to God. The most blessed, is that which 
draws us nearest to Him; and in proportion 
as it leads to God, we realize its blessedness. 

The essence of true love, is not its tender- 



GOLD DUST. 57 

ness, but its strength, power of endurance, its 
purity, its self-renunciation. 

The mistake we make, is when we seek to 
be beloved, instead of loving. What makes 
us cowardly, is the fear of losing that love. 

Never forget this: A selfish heart desires 
love for itself — a Christian heart delights to 
love — without return. 

XL. 

To learn never to waste our time is perhaps 
one of the most difficult virtues to acquire. 

A well-spent day is a source of pleasure. 
To be constantly employed, and never asking 
*'What shall I do?" is the secret of much 
goodness and happiness. 

Begin then with promptitude, act decisively, 
persevere, if interrupted be amiable, and return 
to the work unruffled, finish it carefully — these 
will be the signs of a virtuous soul. 

XLI. 

Are you full of peace? Pray? Prayer will 
preserve it to you. 

Are you tempted? Pray! Prayer will sus- 
tain you. 

Have you fallen? Pray! Prayer will raise 
you. 



58 GOLD DUST. 

Are you discouraged? Pray! Prayer will 
reassure and comfort you. 

XLII. 

The young are seldom forbearing, because 
they so little understand the frailties of poor 
human nature. 

Oh! if you could only witness the terrible 
struggles passing in the heart of that friend 
whose vivacity annoys you, whose fickleness 
provokes you, whose faults sometimes even 
make you blush. . . . 

Oh ! if you saw the tears that are shed in 
secret ; the vexation felt against self (perhaps 
on your account), you would indeed pity them. 
Love them! make allowances for them! never 
let them feel that you know their failings. 

To make any one believe himself good, is to 
help him almost in spite of self, to become so. 

Forbearance is even more than forgiveness; 
ft is excusing, putting always the best con- 
struction upon everything; above all, never 
showing that one proceeding has wounded us, 
speaking of any one who has vexed us thus: — 
"she did not think, else she would have acted 
differently : she never meant to pain me, she 
loves me too much ; she was perhaps unable 



GOLD DUST. 59 

to do otherwise, and yet suffers at the thought 
of having displeased me. ' ' 

For a wounded heart, no balm is so effica- 
cious as forbearance. 

To forbear, is to forget every night the little 
vexations of the past day ; to say every morn- 
ing: *' To-day I shall be braver and calmer 
than yesterday." Forbearance even some- 
times leads us to detect in ourselves a little 
want of good nature, condescension, and 
charity. 

To forbear, is not only freely to forgive, but 
to meet half way, with extended hand, those 
who timidly ask for pardon. 

XLIII. 

My friend, do you know why the work you 
accomplish fails either to give pleasure to your- 
self or others? 

It is because it is not cheerfully done, and 
therefore appears discolored. 

A joyous heart, amid our work, imparts to 
duty a brilliancy, that charms the eyes of 
others, while it prevents those feeling wounded, 
who cannot perform it equally well. 

Joy with us, is like a lever, by which we lift 
the weights, that without its help would 
crush us. 



60 GOLD DUST. 

A workman once said: *'If I were to leave 
off singing, I should be quite unequal to my 
business." 

Then sing always; let your heart sing as in 
its earliest years. 

The refrain of the heart, which perhaps 
never passes the lips, but which echoes in 
heaven, is this sentence : — 

*'I love, and I am beloved!" 

XLIV. 

What regret we sometimes feel after the 
death, or departure of a friend, at never hav- 
ing shown them the respect, the gratitude 
we felt toward them, and how from the depths 
of our heart we are filled with tenderness and 
affection for them ! 

It may have been, that at times we could 
not speak, because we thought too much of 
how to say it. 

Another time, we lost the opportunity be- 
cause we were always shirking it. Deep devo- 
tion is sometimes a little erratic: always afraid 
of doing too little, doing it badly or inoppor- 
tunely. Oftener still the tokens of affection 
are checked, because we think we could show 
it in some better way; we put off till brighter 
days, the dreams we cherished, the sweet 



GOLD DUST. 61 

yearning to open the heart to the loved ones, 
and let them see for once, what a large place 
they fill there. 

Alas! the days fly past, suddenly comes 
death, or, sadder still, separation without hope 
of return, leaving the bitter thought: "Others 
will show them better than I have done, how 
dear, how valued they are." Ah! what we 
can be loving to-day, never let us say: '*I will 
love to-morrow:" when we have the opportu- 
nity of being grateful, never put off, for one 
hour, the proof of our gratitude ! 

CONCLUSION. 

LACORDAIRE, in preparing for a retreat 
in the country, said he only required for his 
realization of a dream of happiness and soli- 
tude, three things: — (i) God; (2) a friend; (3) 
books. 

God! — We never fail to find Him, when we 
are pure, holy, and fulfilling hourly our duty. 

A Friend! — Responds always to the heart's 
call, if only that heart be loving and devoted. 

Books!— Oh! if only this little book of Gold 
Dust, might be allowed to form one of the 
numbers of those that are carried away, far 
from the world's turmoil, and read in order to 
gain a little help and peace ! 

It will take up so little room! 



GOLD DUST. 



SECOND PART. 
I. 

THE FRIENDLY WHISPER. 

Under this title we commence a series of 
short counsels for each day of the week, which 
will be as a friendly whisper, the voice of a 
Guardian Angel, inspiring, as occasion pre- 
sents itself, some good action, some self-denial, 
some little sacrifice. 

We recommend that it should be placed on 
the writing table, in the book we most fre- 
quently turn to, or wherever it is most likely 
to meet the eye. What is so often the one 
thing wanting to some devout person, de- 
voted to doing good? Simply to be reminded 
of it. 

Monday. 

CHARITY. 

Be good-natured, benevolent, keep up a 
cheerful expression of countenance, even when 
alone. 

63 



64 GOLD DUST. 

That clumsiness, those brusque, rude man- 
ners, let them pass without notice. 

When wishes contrary to your own prevail, 
yield without ill-humor, or even showing your 
effort: you will give pleasure, and thus be 
pleased yourself. 

Try to please, to console, to amuse, to be- 
stow, to thank, to help. That is all in itself so 
good! 

Try and do some good to the souls of others! 
An earnest word, some encouragement, a 
prayer softly breathed. 

Overcome your dislike and aversion to cer- 
tain persons, do not shun them, on the contrary 
go and meet them. God goes before you. 

Be courteous even to the troublesome indi- 
vidual who is always in your way. God sends 
him to you. 

Forgive at once. Do you believe harm was 
intended? If so, is it not the greater merit? 

Do not refuse your alms, only let your mo- 
tives be pure, and in giving, give as to God. 

Do not judge the guilty harshly; pity, and 
pray for them. 

Why imagine evil intentions against your- 
self? cannot you see how the thought troubles 
and disquiets you? 

Check the ironical smile hovering about 



GOLD DUST. 65 

your lips, you will grieve the object of it. 
Why cause any one pain? 

Lend yourself to all. God will not suffer 
you to be taken advantage of if you are 
prompted by the spirit of Charity. 

Tuesday. 

THE DIVINE PRESENCE. 

Never separate yourself from God. How 
sweet it is to live always near those who 
love us! 

You cannot see God, but He is there, just 
as if some friend were separated from you by 
a curtain, which does not prevent his seeing 
you, and which at any moment may unfold 
and disclose him to your view. 

When the soul is unstained by sin, and if we 
remain still and recollected, we can perceive 
God's presence in the heart, just as we see day- 
light penetrating a room. We may not be 
always conscious of this Presence, but imper- 
ceptibly it influences all our actions. Oh ! how- 
ever heavy may be the burden you have to 
bear, does it not as once become light, beneath 
the gaze of that Father's Eye? 

The thought of God is never wearisome; 
why not alwa3^s cherish it? Go on without 
trembling, beneath the Eye of God, never fear 

5 Gold Dust 



€6 GOLD DUST. 

to smile, love, hope, and enjoy all that makes 
life sweet. 

God rejoices in our pleasures as a mother in 
the joys of her child. 

What is contrary to God's Will, grieves Him, 
and does you harm, that alone you need fear ; 
the thought that will stain your soul ; the wish 
that troubles your heart; that unwholesome 
action, that will weaken your intellect, and 
destroy your peace. 

Never long for what God sees fit to deny. 

God, beside you, will repair your blunders, 
provide means, whereby you may atone for 
that sinful action, by one more virtuous, wipe 
away the tears caused by some unmerited 
reproof, or unkind word. 

You have only to close your eyes for a 
moment, examine yourself, and softly murmur, 
^*Lord, help me!" 

Can you not hear God's Voice speaking to 
you? What! when He says: Bear this, I am 
here to aid thee; you will refuse? 

He says : Continue another half hour the 
work that wearies thee; and you would stop? 

He says: Do not that; and you do it? 

He says: Let us tread together the path of 
obedience; and you answer: No? 



GOLD DUST. 67 

Wednesday. 

SELF-RENUNCIATION. 

Do not be afraid of that word Renunciation. 
To you, perhaps, it only means, weariness, 
restraint, ennui. 

But it means also, love, perfection, sanctifi- 
cation. 

Who cannot renounce, cannot love. 

Who cannot renounce, cannot become perfect. 

Who cannot renounce, cannot be made holy. 

Self-renunciation, means devotion to our 
duty, going on with it in spite of difficulties, 
disgust, ennui, want of success. 

Self-renunciation, is self-sacrifice under what- 
ever form it presents itself, prayer, labor, 
love ... all that would be an obstacle, not 
merely to its accomplishment, but its perfec- 
tion. 

Self-renunciation, is to root out all that 
encumbers the heart, all that impedes the free 
action of the Holy Spirit within : longings after 
an imaginary perfection or well-being ; unreal 
sentiments that trouble us in prayer, in work, 
in slumber, that fascinate us, but the result of 
which is to destroy all real application. 

Self-renunciation, is to resist all the allure- 
ments of the senses, that would only give pleas- 
ure to self, and satisfy the conscience, by whis- 



68 GOLD DUST. 

pering: "it is no sin;" Self-renunciation, in 
short, is destroying, even at the risk of much 
heartrendering, all in our heart, mind, imag- 
ination, that could be displeasing to God. 

Renunciation is not one single action, that 
when once accomplished, we experience relief; 
it means a constant sacrifice, restraint, resist- 
ing, rending, each hour, each moment during 
our whole life. 

But is not this a worry, a continual torment? 
No, not if the moving spring be love, or godly 
fear. . . . 

Do you consider it a trouble when you make 
yourself less comfortable, to make room for a 
friend who visits you? 

Well ! there are times when God would make 
you sensible of His Presence. He is with you, 
and to retain Him close, who is all Purity, will 
you not be more modest in you behavior? 

If you would receive Him into your heart at 
Holy Communion, will you not make room foi* 
Him, by rooting out that affection He has 
pointed out to you as dangerous, that interest, 
that desire, that worldly sensual attachment? 

Oh ! if you only really loved. 

Would you call it torture, or constraint, the 
energy with which you shatter some poisoned 
cup, you were almost enticed to drink? 



GOLD DUST. 69 

Well! when encountering the attractive 
enjoyment, the material delight, which might 
lead you astray, or the siren voice which would 
allure you from your duty for a moment — then 
when conscience whispers: "Beware," . . . 
would you be cowardly? 

Alas, it is slowly and surely that the stream 
carries on to destruction the blossom that has 
fallen into its current. It is little by little that 
pleasure leads on to sin the heart that lets itself 
be lulled by its charms. 

Thursday. 

SUBMISSION. 

As soon as you awake in the morning, try 
and realize God stretching forth His Hand 
toward you, and saying: Dost thou really 
desire that I should watch over thee this day? 
and you, lift up your hands toward this kind 
Father, and say to Him: "Yes, yes, lead me, 
guide me, love me, I will be very submissive!" 

Beneath God's protecting Hand, is it pos- 
sible that you can be sorrowful, fearful, 
unhappy? 

No; God will allow no suffering, no trial 
above what you are able to bear. 

Then pass through the day, quietly and 
calmly, even as when a little child, you had 
your mother always beside you. 



70 GOLD DUST. 

You need only be careful about one thing, 
never to displease God, and you will see how 
lovingly God will direct all that concerns you : 
material interests, sympathies, worldly cares, 
— you will be astonished at the sudden enlight- 
enment that will come to you, and the wondr- 
ous peace that will result from your labor and 
your toil. 

Then, welcome trial, sickness, ennui, priva- 
tions, injustice ... all of it can only come, 
directed by God's Hand, and will wound the 
soul only in order to cleanse some spot within. 

Would your mother have given you a bitter 
dose, merely for the sake of causing you suffer- 
ing? 

If your duty is hard, owing either to its diffi- 
culty or the distaste you feel toward it, lift 
your heart to God and say: "Lord, help me," 
. . . then go on with it, even though you seem 
to do it imperfectly. 

Should one of those moments of vague mis- 
givings that leave the soul as it were in utter 
darkness, come to overwhelm you, call upon 
God, as a child in terror cries out to its mother. 

If you have sinned, oh ! even then be not 
afraid of the merciful God, but with eyes full 
of tears, say to Him : *' Pardon me" . . . and 
add softly, *' chastise me soon, O Lord!" 



GOLD DUST. 71 

Yes, yes, dear one, be always at peace, going 
on quietly with your daily duties . . . more 
than that, be always joyous. 

And why not? 

You who have no longer a mother to love 
you, and yet crave for love, God will be as a 
mother: You who have no brother to help you, 
and have so much need of support, God will be 
your brother: You who have no friends to 
comfort you, and stand so much in need of con- 
solation, God will be your friend. 

Preserve always the childlike simplicity, 
which goes direct to God, and speak to Him, 
as you would speak to your mother. 

Keep that open confidence that tells Him 
your projects, troubles, joys, as you tell them 
to a brother. 

Cherish those loving words that speak of all 
the happiness you feel, living in dependence 
upon Him, and trusting in His Love, just as 
you would tell it to the friend of your child- 
hood. 

Keep the generous heart of childhood which 
gives all you have to God. Let Him freely 
take whatever He pleases, all within and 
around you. Will only what He wills, desiring 
only what is in accordance with His Will, and 
finding nothing impossible that He commands. 



72 GOLD DUST. 

Do you not feel something soothing and con- 
soling in these thoughts? The longer you live, 
the better you will understand that true happi- 
ness is only to be found in a life devoted to 
God, and given up entirely to His Guidance. 

No! no! none can harm you, unless it be 
God's Will, and if He allows it, be patient and 
humble; weep if your heart is sore, but love 
always, and wait . . . the trial will pass away, 
but God will remain yours forever. 

Jriday. ' 



Oh ! if you only knew what it is to pray! oh! 
if God would only give you the grace to love 
prayer. What peace to your soul, what love in 
your heart ! 

What joy would shine in your countenance, 
even though the tears streamed from your 
eyes! 

Prayer, as the first cry escapes the lips, indi- 
cates to God that some one would speak to 
Him, and God, so good and gracious, is ever 
ready to listen (with all reverence we say it), 
V\rith the prompt attention of a faithful servant. 
He manifests Himself to the soul, with inef- 
fable love, and says to it: "Behold Me, thou 
hast called Me what dost thou desire of Me?" 




Christ as Master, Counsellor and Guide. 

Gold Dust. 



GOLD DUST. 73 

To pray, is to remain, so long as our prayer 
lasts, in the Presence of God, with the cer- 
tainty, that we can never weary Him, no mat- 
ter what may be the subject of our prayer, or 
at those times when we are speechless, and as 
in the case of the good peasant, quoted by the 
Cure d'Ars, we are content to place ourselves 
before God, with only the recollection of His 
Presence. 

To pray, is to act toward God, as the child 
does to its mother, the poor man toward the 
rich, eager to do him good, the friend toward 
his friend, who longs to show him affection. 

Prayer is the key to all celestial treasures, by 
it we penetrate into the midst of all the joy, 
strength, mercy, and goodness Divine, . . . 
we receive our well-being from all around us, 
as the sponge plunged into the ocean imbibes 
without an effort the water that surrounds it 
. . . this joy, strength, mercy and goodness, 
become our own. 

Oh, yes ! if you knew how to pray, and loved 
prayer, how good, useful, fruitful, and meritor- 
ious, would be your life. 

Nothing so elevates the soul as prayer. 

God, so condescending to the soul, raises it 
with Him to the regions of light and love, and 
then the prayer finished, the soul returns to its 



74 GOLD DUST. 

daily duties, with a more enlightened mind, a 
more earnest will. It is filled with radiance 
divine, and sheds of its abundance upon all 
who approach. 

If you would succeed in your study, with the 
success that sanctifies, pray, before commenc- 
ing; 

If you would succeed in your intercourse 
with others, pray before becoming intimate. 

Nothing so smoothes and sweetens life as 
Prayer. 

There is the solitary prayer, when the soul 
isolated from all creatures is alone with God 
and feels thus toward Him: "God and I;" 
God to love, I to adore, praise, glorify, thank. 

God to bestow, I to humbly receive, to 
renounce, ask, hope, submit! . . . 

Ah ! who can tell all that passes between the 
soul, and its God ! 

There is the united prayer of two friends, 
bound together by a holy friendship, their 
desires and thoughts are one, and as one they 
present themselves before God, crying: '*Have 
mercy upon me ! * ' 

There is the prayer of two hearts separated 
by distance, made at the same hour in the same 
words. Soothing prayer, that each day reunites 
those two sad hearts torn by the agony of part- 



GOLD DUST. 75 

ing, and who in God's Presence, strengthened 
with the same Holy Spirit, recover courage to 
tread the road to heaven, each in its appointed 
sphere. 

Then there is Public Prayer, that which has 
the special promise of God's Presence; prayer 
so comforting to the feeble, guilty soul, who 
can cry in very truth, "My prayer ascends to 
God, supported by the prayers of others." 

Oh ! if you knew how to pray, and loved 
prayer, how happy and fruitful would be your 
life? 

Saturday. 

EARNESTNESS. 

You love God, do you not, dear one, whom 
God surrounds with so much affection? 

Yes! yes! I love Him! 

And how do you prove to Him your love? 

I keep myself pure and innocent, so that His 
Eye falling upon me, may never see anything 
that displeases Him. I keep myself calm and 
quiet, and force myself to smile that He may 
see I am contented. 

That is right, but that is not enough. 

I think of tenof how much I owe Him, and ap- 
ply myself diligently to the work He has given 
me to do ; I bear patiently with those I dislike, 



76 GOLD DUST. 

with troubles that irritate me; when I am 
weak I call upon Him, when timid I draw near 
to Him, when sinful I implore pardon, and 
strive to do my duty more faithfully. That is 
right, but that is not enough. 

I lend myself to the importunities of others. 
I am as a slave to those who need me, and take 
care never to judge any one harshly. 

That is right, but still it is not enough. 

Ah! then what more can I do, good angel, 
thus addressing me, what can I do to show my 
love to God? 

Devote thyself to doing good to the souls of 
others ! 

Oh ! if you knew how it pleases God to see 
you laboring for them ! It is like the joy of a 
mother, every time she sees some one benefit- 
ing her child. 

How thankful she is to those who nursed it 
in sickness, spared it pain, showed it some 
token of affection, a counsel, a warning, that 
gave it pleasure, by a kind word, a plaything, 
a smile. 

All this you may do in that circle, more or 
less extended, in which you live. 

Leave to God's Minister, if you will, the 
work of converting souls, and limit your efforts 



GOLD DUST. 77 

to doing good by bringing yourself into com- 
munion with them. 

To do so, means sweetly, unconsciously, 
softly speak to them of God, carry them to 
God, lead them to God. 

This may be done by gently, tenderly — by 
inference as it were — speaking to them of 
God, thus leading them toward Him, bringing 
them into contact with Him. 

Hearts are drawn together by talking of 
their kindred pursuits, souls by speaking of 
Heavenly things. 

It is not necessary for this purpose, to pro- 
nounce the name of God, it will suffice that 
the words shall lift the soul beyond this mate- 
rial world, and its sensual enjoyments, and 
raise them upward to that supernatural atmo- 
sphere necessary to the real life. 

Speak of the happiness of devotion, the 
charm of purity, the blessing of the few min- 
utes* meditation at the feet of Jesus, the peace 
procured by entire resignation to Providence, 
and the sweetness of a life spent beneath 
God's Fatherly Eye, the comfort the thought 
of Heaven brings in the midst of trouble, the 
hope of the meeting again above, the certainty 
of eternal happiness. This is doing good to 



78 GOLD DUST. 

others, drawing them nearer to God, and 
teaching them more and more of holiness. 

Limit your efforts to this ; later on I will tell 
you what more you may do. 

Sunday. 

SYMPATHY. 

Welcome with joy each week, the day that 
God has called His day. To each day of the 
week God has given his special mission, its 
share of pleasure and of pain, necessary to 
purify and fortify, and prepare us for eternity. 

But Sunday is a day of Love. 

On Saturday we lay aside our garments 
faded and stained by toil, and on Sunday we 
array ourselves in garments, not only fresher, 
but more choice and graceful. 

Why not prepare the heart, even as we do the 
body? 

During the week, has not the heart been 
wearied with petty strife and discontent, in- 
terests marred, bitter words? 

Then why not shake off all this, that only 
chills affection? — on the Saturday let us for- 
give freely, press the hand warmly, embrace 
each other, and then peace being restored 
within, we await the morrow's awakening. 

Sunday is God's day of truce for all. That 



GOLD DUST. 79 

day laying aside all revenge and ill feeling, 
we must be filled with forbearance, indul- 
gence, and amiability. 

Oh! how good for us to feel obliged to 
be reconciled, and each Sunday renews the 
obligation. 

Let us leave no time for coldness and in- 
difference to grow upon us ... it only en- 
genders hatred, and that once established in 
the heart, oh! how hard is it to cast out 
again. 

It is like a hideous cancer, whose ravages 
no remedies can stay. 

It is as the venomous plant, that the gar- 
dener can never entirely eradicate,, Only by 
a miracle can hatred be destroyed. At once 
then let us place a barrier in our hearts, 
against the approach of coolness, or indiffer- 
ence, and each Saturday night the head of the 
family shall thus address us: "Children, to- 
night we forgive, to-night we forget, and to- 
morrow begin life afresh in love one toward 
another. ' * 

II. 

When I have sinned, wrote a pious soul, I 
feel chastisement will fall upon me, and as if 
I could hide myself from God's Eye. I 
shrink into myself, and then I pray, I pray, 



80 GOLD DUST. 

and the chastisement not being sent, I again 
expand. 

Chastisement is like a stone threatening to 
crush me : Prayer is the hand that withholds 
it, while I make atonement. 

Oh! how can ^those live peacefully, who 
never pray? 

III. 

OUR DEAD. 

They are not all there — our dead — ^buried 
in the churchyard, beneath the grave, o'er- 
sh ado wed by a cross, and round which the 
roses bloom. 

There are others which nothing can recall ; 
they are things which belong to the heart 
alone, and there, alas! have found a tomb. 

Peace surrounds me to-day ; and here in my 
lone chamber I will invoke them, my much 
loved dead. Come! 

The first that present themselves, are the 
sweet years of childhood, so fresh, so guile- 
less, so happy. 

They were made up of loving caresses, boun- 
tiful rewards, and fearless confidence; the 
words, pain, danger, care, were unknown; 
they brought me simple pleasures, happy days 



GOLD DUST. 81 

without a thought for the morrow, and only 
required from me a little obedience. 

Alas ! they are dead. . . and what number- 
less things they have carried with them! 
What a void they have left ! 

Candor, lightheartedness, simplicity, no 
longer find a place within ! 

Family ties, so true, so wide, so light, have 
all vanished ! 

The homely hearth, the simple reward 
earned by the day's industry, maternal 
chidings, forgiveness so ingeniously sought, 
so freely given, promises of amendment, so 
sincere, so joyously received. . . Is this all 
gone forever, can I never recall them? 

The vision that follows, is that of my early 
piety, simple and full of faith, which was as 
some good angel o'ershadowing me with its 
snowy wings, and showing me God every- 
where, in all, and with all. 

The good God, Who each day provides my 
daily bread; 

The God, Who spared my mother in sick- 
ness, and relieved her when she suffered; 
God, Who shielded me from harm, when I 
did right ; 

The God, Who sees all, knows all, and is 
Omnipotent, Whom I loved with all my heart. 

8 Gold Dust 



82 GOLD DUST. 

Alas! faithful, simple piety, thou art dead; 
in innocence alone couldst thou live ! 

Next comes the love of my earliest years. 
Love in childhood, love in youth, so full of 
true, simple joy, that initiated me in the sweet 
pleasure of devotion, that taught me self- 
denial in order to give pleasure, that de- 
stroyed all egotism, by showing me the happi- 
ness of living for others. 

Love of my childhood, love of my youth, 
so pure, so holy, on which I always reckoned 
when they spoke to me of trouble, loneliness, 
depression . . . Thou also art dead. 

An involuntary coolness, an unfounded sus- 
picion, never cleared, an ill-natured story. . . 
all these have destroyed that child of Heaven. 
I knew it was tender, and I cherished it, but 
I could not believe it to be so frail. 

I could make a long list of all the dead, en- 
shrined in my heart! O, you who are still 
young, upon whom God has lavished all the 
gifts that are lost to me, candor, simplicity, 
innocence, love, devotion . . . guard, oh, 
guard these treasures and that they may never 
die, place them beneath the shelter of Prayer. 



GOLD DUST. 83 

THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 
IV. 

What a sweet life is that! The maintain- 
ing, strengthening it, has a softening influ- 
ence, and it is a labor that never wearies, 
never deceives, but gives each day fresh cause 
for joy. 

In the language of devotion, it is called the 
interior life, and it is our purpose to point out 
minutely, its nature, excellence, means, and 
hindrances. 

Let no one think the interior life is incom- 
patible with the life domestic and social, which 
is often so engrossing; just as the action of 
the heart maintained by the constant flow of 
the blood, in no way afEects the outward move- 
ments, so is it with the life of the soul, which 
consists chiefly in the action of God's Holy 
Spirit within, that never hinders our social 
duties, but on the contrary is a help toward 
fulfilling them more calmly, more perfectly. 

NATURE OF THE INTERIOR LIFE. 

The interior life is an abiding sense of 
God's Presence, a constant union with Him. 

We learn to look upon the heart as the tem- 
ple where God dwells, sometimes glorious as 
above, sometimes hidden as in the Holy 



84 GOLD DUST. 

Eucharist, and we act, think, speak, and ful- 
fil all our duties, as in His Presence. 

Its aim is to shun sin, and cultivate a de- 
tachment from all earthly things, by a spirit 
of poverty; sensual pleasures, by purity and 
mortification; pride, by humility; dissipation, 
by recollection. 

As a rule, people are prejudiced against an 
interior life. Some are afraid of it, and look 
upon it as a life of bondage, sacrifice, and re- 
straint; others despise it, as nothing but a 
multiplicity of trifling rules, tending only to 
narrow-mindedness and uselessness, and fit 
only for weak minds. In consequence, they 
are on their guard against it, and avoid the 
books that treat of it. 

They would serve God no doubt, but they 
will not subject themselves to the entire guid- 
ance of His Spirit ; in short, it is far easier to 
bring a soul from a state of sin to that of 
grace, than it is to lead a busy, active, zealous 
person to the hidden contemplative life of the 
soul. 

EXCELLENCE OF THE INTERIOR LIFE. 

God dwelling within us, the life of Christ 
Himself, when on earth, living always in His 
Father's Presence. 

It is the life of which S. Paul speaks when 



GOLD DUST. 85 

he says, "Nevertheless 1 live; yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me." 

All saints must lead this life, and their de- 
gree of holiness is in proportion to the perfec- 
tion of their union with God. 

Christ animates their souls, even as the soul 
animates the body. 

They own Christ as Master, Counselor, and 
Guide, and nothing is done without submit- 
ting it to Him, and imploring His aid and 
approval. 

Christ is their strength, their refuge, their 
defender. 

They live in constant dependence upon 
Him, as their Father, Protector, aud all-power- 
ful King. 

They are drawn to Him, as the child is 
drawn by love, the poor by need. 

They let themselves be guided by Him as 
the blind let themselves be led by the child in 
whom they confide ; they bear all suffering 
that comes from Him, as the sick, in order to 
be healed, bear suffering at the hands of a 
physician ; and they lean on Him, as the child 
leans on its mother's breast. 

It lifts them above the troubles and miseries 
of life ; the whole world may seem a prey to 
calamities; themselves, deprived of their 



86 GOLD DUST. 

g-oods through injustice or accident, they lose 
their relations through death, their friends 
through treachery or forgetfulness, their 
reputation and honor from slander, a serious 
illness deprives them of health, their happi- 
ness is destroyed by hardness and tempta- 
tions . . . Ah ! no doubt, they will have these 
trials, no doubt they must shed bitter tears, 
but still God's peace will remain to them, the 
peace that passeth all understanding, they 
will realize God has ordered it, guided it with 
His Hand Divine, and they will be able to 
exclaim, with joy, "Thou art left to us, and 
Thou art all-sufficient!" 

ACTS OF THE INTERIOR LIFE. 

1. See God, that is to say, be always realizing 
His presence, feeling Him near, as the friend, 
from Whom we would never be separated, in 
work, in prayer, in recreation, in repose. 
God is not importunate, He never wearies, He 
is so gracious, and merciful, His Hand directs 
everything, and He will not "suffer us to be 
tempted above that we are able." 

2. Listen to God, be attentive to His coun- 
sels. His warnings; we hear His Voice, in 
those Gospel words that recur to our minds, 
in the good thoughts that suddenly dawn on 



GOLD DUST. 87 

tis, the devout words that meet us in some 
l)ook, on a sheet of paper, or falling from the 
lips of a preacher, a friend, or even a stranger. 

3. Speak to God, hold converse with Him, 
more with the heart than the lips, in the early 
morning's meditation, ejaculatory prayer, 
vocal prayer, and above all in Holy Commu- 
nion. 

4. Love God, be devoted to Him, and Him 
alone, have no affection apart from Him, re- 
strain the love that would estrange us from 
Him, lend ourselves to all, out of love to Him, 
but give ourselves to Him alone. 

5. Think of God; reject whatever excludes 
the thought of Him. Of course, we must ful- 
fil our daily duties, accomplishing them with all 
the perfection of which we are capable, .but 
they must be done as beneath the Eye of God, 
with the thought that God has commanded 
them, and that to do them carefully, is pleas- 
ing in His sight. 

MEANS BY WHICH TO ATTAIN THE INTERIOR LIFE. 

I. Great tenderness of Conscience, secured 
by constant, regular and earnest confession to 
God, a hatred of all sin, imperfection, infidel- 
ity, by calmly, but resolutely fleeing every 
occasion of it. 



88 GOLD DUST. 

2. Great purity of heart, by detachment 
from all earthly things, wealth, luxuries, fame, 
kindred, friends, tastes, even life itself . . . 
not that we need fail in love to our kindred 
and friends, but we must only let the thought 
of them abide in the heart, as united to the 
love and thought of God. 

3. Great purity of mind, carefully excluding 
from it all useless, distracting thoughts as to 
past, present, or future, all pre-occupation 
over some pet employment, all desire to be 
known, and thought well of. 

4. Great purity of action, only undertaking 
what lies in the path of duty, controlling nat- 
ural eagerness and activity, acting soberly, 
with the help of the Holy Spirit, the thought 
that by our deeds we glorify God, pausing for 
a moment, when passing from one occupation 
to another, in order to direct aright the in- 
tention, and taking care to be always occupied 
in what is useful and beneficial. 

5. Great recollectedness and self-mortifica- 
tion, avoiding, as much as we can, in keeping 
with our social position, all dissipation, bustle, 
disturbance; never allowing voluntarily, use- 
less desires, looks, words, or pleasures; but 
placing them under the rule of reason, decor- 
um, edification and love, taking care that our 



GOLD DUST. 89 

prayers be said slowly and carefully, articulat- 
ing each word, and trying to feel the truth of 
what we are saying. 

6. Great care and exactitude, in all the ordi- 
nary actions of life, above all, in the exercises 
of religion, leaving nothing to chance or haz- 
ard, beholding in everything God's overruling 
Will, and saying to oneself sometimes, as the 
hour for such and such duty arrives, "I must 
hasten, God is calling me." 

7. Much intercourse with God, speaking to 
Him with simplicity, loving Him dearly, al- 
ways consulting Him, rendering to Him an 
account of every action, thanking Him con- 
stantly, and, above all, drawing near to Him 
with joy in the Holy Eucharist. One great 
help toward such sweet communion with God, 
will be found in a steady perseverance in the 
early morning's meditation. 

8. Much love for our neighbor, because he 
is the much-loved child of God, praying for 
him, comforting, teaching, strengthening, and 
helping him in all difficulties. 

HINDRANCES TO THE INTERIOR LIFE. 

I. Natural activity, always urging us on ; and 
making us too precipitate in all our actions. 
It shows itself: 



90 GOLD DUST. 

In our projects, which it multiplies, heaps 
up, reforms, and upsets. It allows of no rest, 
until what it has undertaken is accomplished. 

In our actions. Activity is absolutely neces- 
sary to us. V7e load ourselves with a thousand 
things beyond our duty, sometimes even con- 
trary to it. Everything is done with impet- 
uosity and haste, anxiety and impatience to 
see the end. 

In our conversation. Activity makes us 
speak without thinking, interrupting rudely, 
reproving hastily, judging without apprecia- 
tion. We speak loudly, disputing, murmur- 
ing, and losing our temper. 

In prayer. We burden ourselves with 
numberless prayers, repeated carelessly, with- 
out attention, and with impatience to get to the 
end of them ; it interferes with our meditations, 
wearies, torments, fatigues the brain, drying 
up the soul, and hindering the work of the 
Holy Spirit. 

2. Curiosity lays the soul open to all exter- 
nal things, fills it with a thousand fancies and 
questionings, pleasing or vexatious, absorbing 
the mind, and making it quite impossible to 
retire within oneself, and be recollected. 
Then follow distaste, sloth and ennui for all 



GOLD DUST. 91 

that savors of silence, retirement, and medita- 
tion. 

Curiosity shows itself, when studies are un- 
dertaken, from vanity, a desire to know all 
things, and to pass as clever, rather than the 
real wish to learn, in order to be useful — in 
reading, when the spare time is given up to 
history, papers, and novels — in walking, when 
our steps would lead us, where the crowd go 
to see, to know, only in order to have some- 
thing to retail ; in fact, it manifests itself in a 
thousand little actions; for instance, pressing 
forward with feverish haste to open a letter 
addressed to us, longing eagerly to see any- 
thing that presents itself — always being the 
first to tell any piece of news. . . . When we 
forget God, He is driven from the heart, 
leaving it void, and then ensues that wild crav- 
ing to fill up the void with anything with 
which we may come into contact. 

3. Cowardice. God does not forbid patient, 
submissive pleading, but murmuring fears are 
displeasing to Him, and He withdraws from 
the soul that will not lean on Him. Cowardice 
manifests itself, when in the trials of life, we 
rebel against the Divine will that sends us 
illness, calumny, privation, desertion; when 
in dryness of soul, we leave off our prayers 



92 GOLD DUST. 

and communions, because we feel no sensible 
sweetness in them, when we feel a sickness 
of the soul, that makes us uneasy, and fearful 
that God has forsaken us. 

The soul estranged from God, seeks diversion 
in the world, but in the midst of the world, 
God is not to be found, when temptations 
come, wearied, frightened, and tormented, we 
wander farther and farther away from Him, 
crying, "I am forsaken," when the trial has 
really been sent, in order to keep us on our 
guard, prevent our becoming proud, and offer- 
ing us an opportunity for showing our love. 

V. 

THE LESSON OF A DAISY. 

I saw her from afar, poor child, she looked 
dreamy as she leant against the window, and 
held in her hand a daisy, which she was 
questioning by gradually pulling it to pieces. 
What she wanted to ascertain I cannot tell, I 
only heard in a low murmur, falling from her 
pale lips, these words: '*A little, a great 
deal, passionately, not at all," as each petal 
her fingers pulled away fell fluttering at her 
feet. 

I could see her from a distance, and I felt 
touched. 



GOLD DUST. 93 

Poor child, why do you tell a flower the 
thought that troubles you? have you no 
mother? 

Why be anxious about the future? have you 
not God to prepare it for you, as tenderly as 
eighteen years ago your mother prepared your 
cradle? 

Finally, when the daisy was all but gone, 
when her fingers stopped at the last petal, and 
her lips murmured the word little, she dropped 
her head upon her arms, discouraged, and poor 
child, she wept! 

Why weep, my child? is it because this word 
does not please you? 

Let me, let me, in the name of the simple 
daisy you have just destroyed, give you the 
experience of my old age. 

Oh ! if you only knew what it costs to have 
much of anything ! 

A great deal of wit often results in spiteful. 
ness, which makes us cruel and unjust, in 
jealousy that torments, in deception that sullies 
all our triumphs, and pride which is never 
satisfied. 

A great deal of heart causes uneasiness, 
which vexes, pain that rends asunder, grief 
that nearly kills . . . sometimes even the 
judgment is deceived. 



94 GOLD DUST. 

A great deal of attractiveness, means often 
a consuming vanity, overwhelming deception, 
an insatiable desire to please, a fear of being 
unappreciated, a loss of peace, domestic life 
much neglected. 

A great deal of wealth and success are the 
cause of luxury that enfeebles, loss of calm, 
quiet happiness, loss of love, leaving only the 
flattery that captivates. 

No, no, my child, never long for a great 
deal in this life, unless it be for much forbear- 
ance, much goodness. 

And if it should be God's Will to give you 
much of anything, then, oh, pray it may never 
be to your condemnation. 

Is passionately the word you long for? 
Passionately! oh, the harm that is done by 
that word ! there is something in the thought 
of it that makes me shudder. Passionately 
means transport, frenzy, excess in everything. 

The life that the word passionately describes, 
must be a life full of risks and dangers; and 
if by little short of a miracle, nothing out- 
wardly wrong appears, the inner life must 
resemble a palace, ravaged by fire, where the 
stranger sees nothing but cracked walls, 
blackened furniture, and drapery hanging in 
shreds ! 



GOLD DUST. 95 

My child, I would prefer for you the words 
not at all, as applied to fortune, external 
charms, and all that goes by the name of 
glory, success, and fascination in the world. I 
know it may seem a hard sentence, involving 
a continual self-denial, and exacting incessant 
hard labor to obtain the bare necessities of life 
for those we love. 

But do not be afraid of it. God never leaves 
His creatures in absolute need. God may de- 
prive a face of beauty, a character of amiabili- 
ty, a mind of brilliancy, but He will never take 
away a heart of love ; with the faculty of loving, 
He adds the power of prayer, and the promise 
always to listen to, and answer it. 

As long as we can love and pray, life has 
charms for us. 

Love produces devotion, and devotion brings 
happiness, even though we may not under- 
stand it. 

In prayer we feel we are beloved, and the 
Love of God, oh, if only you knew how it com- 
pensates for the indifference of our fellow- 
creatures ! 

There now only remains to us the last words 
of the daisy, a little! the loving fatherly 
answer God has given to your childish curi- 
osity. 



96 GOLD DUST. 

Accept it, and make it the motto of your 
life. 

A little ; moderation in wealth and fortune, 
a condition that promises the most peaceful 
life, free from anxiety for the future, doubt- 
less requiring daily duties, but permitting 
many innocent enjoyments. 

A little ; moderation in our desires, content- 
ment with what we possess, making the most 
of it, and repressing all vain dreams of a more 
brilliant position, a more extended reputation, 
a more famous name. 

A little ; the affection of a heart devoted to 
duty, and kindling joy in the family circle, 
composed of kindred to love, friends to cheer, 
poor to succor, hearts to strengthen, sufferings 
to alleviate. 

A little; a taste for all that is beautiful; 
books, works of art, music, not making us idly 
dream of fame, but simply providing enjoy- 
ment for the mind all the more keen, as the 
daily toil renders the occasion rare. 

Do you see, my child, how much may lie 
beneath those simple words a little, that the 
daisy gave you, and that you seem so much to 
despise? 

Never scorn anything that seems wanting in 



GOLD DUST. 97 

brilliancy, and remember to be really happy 
we must have 

More virtue than knowledge, 

More love than tenderness, 

More guidance than cleverness, 

More health than riches. 

More repose than profit. 

VI. 

Each day is like a furrow lying before us; 
our thoughts, desires, and actions are the seed 
that each minute we drop into it, without 
seeming to perceive it. The furrow finished, 
we commence upon another, then another, and 
again another ; each day presents a fresh one, 
and so on to the end of life . . . sowing, ever 
sowing. And all we have sown springs up, 
grows and bears fruit, almost unknown to us, 
even if by chance we cast a backward glance 
we fail to recognize our work. 

Behind us, angels and demons, like gleaners, 
gather together in sheaves all that belongs to 
them. 

Every night their store is increased. They 
preserve it, and at the last day will present 
it to their Master. 

Is there not a thought in this that should 
make us reflect? 

Gold Dust. 7 



98 GOLD DUST. 

VII. 

*'lEARN of me, for I AM MEEK AND LOWLY OF 
HEART. " 

This is a simple rule of life for me, requiring 
no more than I am able, but I feel it unites me 
to God, makes me more devout, more faithful 
to duty, more ready for death. Since I made 
it my rule, it has been to me a source of con- 
solation, enlightenment and strength, and yet 
God alone knows how full of pain my life has 
been! 

Dear friends, who like myself, long to be- 
come holy, I commend this sentence to you, 
in all its simplicity ; listen, for it comes from 
the loving Heart of Jesus, it fell from His 
gentle Lips: 

"Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of 
heart." 

I. Be Meek. 

L MEEK TOWARD GOD. 

Living from day to day beneath His Eye, 
and where all things are ordered by a Divine 
Providence. 

As carefully as a mother arranges the room 
where her child will pass the day, does God 
prepare each hour that opens before me. 
Whatever has to be done, it is His Will that I 



GOLD DUST. 99 

should do it, and in order that it should be 
done well, He provides the necessary time, in- 
telligence, aptitude, and knowledge. 

Whatever of suffering presents itself. He 
expects me to bear it, even though I may not 
see any reason for it, and if the pain be so 
sharp as to call forth a cry, He gently whis- 
pers: "Courage, My child, for it is My will!" 

If anything occurs to hinder my work, any- 
thing goes contrary to my plans and projects. 
He has ordained it so, on purpose, because He 
knows that too much success would make me 
proud, too much ease would make me sensual, 
and He would teach me that the road to heaven, 
is not success, but labor and devotion. 

With such thoughts as these, all rebellion is 
hushed! With what peace, what joy our work 
may be begun, continued, interrupted, and re- 
sumed! 

With what energy we reject those enemies 
that assail us at every hour; idleness, haste, 
preoccupation, success, want of perseverance 
under difficulties! 

Does the past sometimes rise up to trouble 
me with the thought of the many years spent 
without God? 

Ah ! no doubt the shame and grief are sharp 



100 GOLD DUST. 

and keen, but why need they disturb my 
peace of mind? 

Has not God promised His pardon for His 
blessed Son's sake, to all who truly repent and 
unfeignedly believe His Holy Gospel? Have 
I made a full avowal and entire submission? 
and am I not willing to 'fulfil whatever I am 
advised in God's name to do for the future? 

Does the future in its turn seem to frighten 
me? I smile at the foolish fancies of my im- 
agination; is not my future in God's Hands? 

What ; when all that will befall me to-mor- 
row, next year, ten years, twenty years hence, 
is ordained by Him, shall I distress myself 
with the thought that it may not be good for 
me! 

Lord! be Thou my Guide, and choose my 
lot, as may seem best to Thee ! 

2. MEEK UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. 

Events are messages of either Divine Good- 
ness, or justice. 

Each has a mission to fulfil, and as it comes 
from God, why not let it be accomplished in 
peace? 

Painful, heartrending, though they may be, 
they are still the Will of God. Watch them 
as they come, with a little trembling, perhaps 



GOLD DUST. 101 

even terror, but never let them destroy in the 
least degree, my faith and resignation. 

To be meek under these circumstances, does 
not mean awaiting them with a stoic firmness 
which proceeds from pride, or hardening one- 
self against them to the point of repressing all 
trembling, no! God allows us sometimes to 
anticipate, postpone, or even when possible 
flee them, at any rate we may try to soothe, 
and soften them a little. 

The Good Father, when He sends them, 
sends at the same time the means by which 
they may be endured, and perhaps averted. 

Remedies, in sickness, 

Love, in trouble. 

Devotion, in privations, 

Comfort, in weakness, 

Tears, in sorrow. 

God has created all these, and knowing per- 
haps that I may fail to find them, He has 
given commandment to some privileged ser- 
vants to love, console, soothe, and help me, 
saying to them, 

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of 
the least of these My brethren, ye have done 
it as unto Me." 

Oh ! welcome then the friendly voice, that in 
the midst of trouble, speaks to me of hope ; I 



102 GOLD DUST. 

will receive with gratitude the care that affec- 
tion presses upon me. 

With thankfulness I accept the time devoted 
to me, privation borne for my sake, and I will 
pray God to bless these kind friends, and ask 
Him to say to them, words such as these: 
"All that thou hast done for Mine, I will repay 
thee a hundred-fold. " 

3. MEEK TOWARD OTHERS. 

This may seem even more difficult, for it so 
often appears to us, as if others were, actuated 
by malice. 

But how often it is only the result of tem- 
perament, pride, thoughtlessness; seeking their 
own pleasure, without a thought of the harm 
they are doing me; then why be unhappy 
about it? I need only to be on my guard. 

Never stand in the way of others (when it 
is not the case of a duty to be fulfilled), and if 
they sometimes are an obstacle in yours, 
remove them gently, but do not harm them. 

Yielding, submitting, retiring, giving up, 
this should be our conduct toward the members 
of our family, and those we call our friends. 

The more facility you give them for doing 
what they think right, the more you enter 
into the feelings they have of their own im- 



GOLD DUST. 103 

portance, leaving them a free course of action, 
so much the more will you be likely to be use- 
ful to them, and retain your own peace of 
mind. 

It is astonishing how those we never press, 
open their hearts to us! 

Do not try to examine too minutely the 
actions of others, or the motives that actuate 
them; if they are wanting in tact, appear not 
to notice it, or better still, try and think they 
have made a mistake. 

The best remedy for the dislike v/e feel 
toward any one, is to endeavor to try and do 
them a little good every day ; the best cure for 
their dislike to us, is to try and speak kindly 
of them. 

Are those around you wicked? be cautious, 
but do not lose heart, God will not let them 
harm you. 

How easy for God to stay the consequences 
of slander and calumny! 

God is the shield, interposing between others, 
circumstances, and myself. 

4. MEEK TOWARD SELF. 

This does not imply self-complacency, self- 
indulgence, self-justification, but simply en- 
couragement, strength, and fortitude. 



104 GOLD DUST. 

Encouragement in some wearisome monoto- 
nous unrecognized work, with a thought like 
this: "God is watching me, and wishes me to 
do this. ' ' This labor occupies my mind, per- 
fects my soul, and shields me from mischief. 

Encouragement such as this, in the midst 
of sadness and isolation, when no one thinks 
of us, or gives us the smallest token of sym- 
pathy: ''Is not my duty sufficient for me? God 
requires it of me, and it will lead me to 
Heaven." 

Strength to rise again after some failure, 
some humiliating fault, some depressing weak- 
ness ; rise again lovingly, confidingly, and with 
the thought, *' Never mind, it is a Good Father, 
a Kind Master, with Whom I have to deal.'* 
Confess your sin, humble yourself, and while 
awaiting the assurance of pardon go on with 
your daily work, with the same zeal as before. 

Fortitude, against the desertion and forgetf ul- 
ness of others. 

We have two things to fortify us: Prayer 
and Labor. 

One to cheer us: Devotion. 

These remedies are always at hand. 



GOLD DUST. 105 

II. Be Humble. 

I. HUMBLE WITH GOD. 

Resting always in his Presence, like a little 
child, or even a beggar, who knowing noth- 
ing is due to him, still asks, loves, and awaits, 
feeling sure that hour by hour in proportion 
to our need, God will provide all that is need- 
ful, and even over and above what is absolutely 
necessary. Live peacefully under the protec- 
tion of Divine Providence; the more you feel 
your insignificance, weakness, sickness, misery, 
the more right you have to the pity and love 
of God. 

Only pray fervently; let your prayer be 
thoughtful and reverent, sweet, and full of 
hope. The poor have nothing left to them 
but prayer, but that prayer, so humble, so 
pleading, ascends to God, and is listened to 
with Fatherly love. 

Do not have a number of varied prayers, but 
let the "Our Father" be ever on your lips, and 
in your heart. 

Love to repeat to God the prayer that Christ 
Himself has taught, and for His sake is always 
accepted. 

Look upon yourself as a hired servant of God, 
to whom He has promised a rich reward, at 



106 GOLD DUST. 

the end of the day, He calls life; each morn- 
ing, hold yourself in readiness to obey all His 
commands, in the way He wills, and with the 
means He appoints. 

The command may not always come direct 
from the Master, it would be too sweet to hear 
only God's Voice; but He sends it by means 
of His ambassadors ; these go by the names of 
superiors, equals, inferiors, sometimes enemies. 

Each has received the mission (without 
knowing it) to make you holy; one by subdu- 
ing your independence, another by crushing 
your pride, a third by spurring your slothful- 
ness. 

They will, though fulfilling God's command, 
do it each in their own way, sometimes roughly, 
sometimes maliciously, sometimes in a way 
hard to bear . . . what does it matter, so long 
as you feel that all you do, all you suffer, is the 
Will of God? 

Do your duty as well as you can, as you un- 
derstand it, as it is given to you; say some- 
times to God, *'My Master, art Thou satisfied 
with me?" and then in spite of ennui, fatigue, 
repugnance, go on with it, faithfully to the 
end. 

Then whether praise or blame be yours, 



GOLD DUST. 107 

you will, good faithful servant, at least have 
peace. 

2. HUMBLE TOWARD OTHERS. 

Look upon yourself as the servant of all, but 
without ostentation, or their having any knowl- 
edge of it. 

Repeat to yourself sometimes the words of 
the Blessed Virgin Mary: "Behold the hand- 
maid of the Lord," and those of our Lord, "I 
came not to be ministered unto, but to minis- 
ter, ' ' and then act toward others as if you were 
their slave, warning, aiding, listening ; abashed 
at what they do for you, and always seeming 
pleased at anything they may require you to 
do for them. 

Oh ! if you knew the full meaning of these 
words, all they signify of reward in heaven, of 
joy and peace on earth, how you would love 
them! 

Oh ! if you would only make them the rule 
of your life and conduct, how happy you would 
be yourself, and how happy you would make 
others ! 

Happy in the approval of conscience, that 
whispers, *'you have done as Christ would 
have done. ' ' 

Happy in the thought of the reward promised 
to those who give even a cup of cold water in 



108 GOLD DUST. 

the Name of Jesus Christ ; happy in the assur- 
ance that God will do for you what you have 
done for others. 

Oh! what matters then ingratitude, forget- 
fulness, contempt, and scorn? They will pain, 
no doubt, but will have no power to sadden, or 
discourage. 

Precious counsel, inspired by Christ Himself, 
I bless you for all the good you have done 
me! 

When first those words found entrance to 
my heart, they brought with them peace and 
strength to stand against deception, desertion, 
discouragement, and the resolute will to live a 
life more devoted to God, more united to Him, 
more contented, and ever pressing onward 
toward heaven. Once more, I bless you ! 

Precious counsels, enlighten, guide, and lead 
me. 

vin. 

A SIMPLE PRAYER. 

O Jesu! in the midst of glory, forget not 
the sadness upon earth! Have mercy upon 
those, to whom God has sent the bitter trial of 
separation from those they love ! 

Have mercy on that loneliness of heart so 
full of sadness, so crushing, sometimes full of 
terror ! 



GOLD DUST. 109 

Have mercy upon those struggling against 
the difficulties of life, and faint with discour- 
agement! 

Have mercy on those, whom fortune favors, 
whom the world fascinates, and who are free 
from care ! 

Have mercy on those to whom Thou hast 
given great tenderness of heart, great sensi- 
tiveness ! 

Have mercy on those who cease to love us, 
and never may they know the pain they cause ! 

Have mercy on those who have gradually 
withdrawn from Holy Communion, and Prayer, 
and losing peace within, weep, yet dare not 
return to Thee ! 

Have mercy on all we love : make them holy, 
even through suffering ! if ever they estrange 
themselves from Thee, take, oh, take all my 
joys, and decoy them with the pleasures, back 
again to Thee! 

Have mercy on those who weep, those who 
pray, those who know not how to pray! 

To all, O Jesus ! grant Hope and Peace. 
IX. 

SIMPLE COUNSELS FOR A YOUNG GIRL. 

Yes, very simple. Listen, my child, and 
may they sink deep into your heart, as the dew 
sinks in the calyx of the flower. 



no GOLD DUST. 

These are my counsels: 

Distrust the love that comes too suddenly. 

Distrust the pleasure that fascinates so 
keenly. 

Distrust the words that trouble, or charm. 

Distrust the book that makes you dream. 

Distrust the thought you cannot confide to 
your mother. 

Treasure these counsels, and sometimes as 
you read them, ask yourself, "Why?" Guardian 
Angel of the child we are addressing, teach her 
the reason of these sentences that seem to her 
so exaggerated! 

X. 

A RECIPE FOR NEVER ANNOYING OUR FRIENDS. 

This was made by one who had suffered 
much for many years, from numberless little 
worries, occasioned by a relative, whose affec- 
tion no doubt was sincere and devoted, but also 
too ardent, and wanting in discretion. 

There must be moderation in all things, even 
in the love we manifest, the care we take to 
shield them from trouble. 

This recipe consists of but four simple rules, 
very clear, very precise ; behold them : 

I. Always leave my friend something more 
to desire of me. If he asks me to go and see 



GOLD DUST. Ill 

him three times, I go but twice. He will look 
forward to my coming a third time, and when 
I go, receive me the more cordially. 

It is so sweet to feel we are needed, and so 
hard to be thought importunate. 

2. Be useful to my friend, as far as he per- 
mits, and no further. 

An over-anxious affection becomes tiresome, 
and a multiplicity of beautiful sentiments 
makes them almost insupportable. 

Devotion to a friend does not consist in doing 
everything for him, but simpl}- that which is 
agreeable, and of service to him, and let it only 
be revealed to him by accident. 

We all love freedom, and cling tenaciously 
to our little fancies, we do not like others to 
arrange what we have purposely left in dis- 
order; we even resent their over- anxiety and 
care for us. 

3. Be much occupied with my own affairs 
and little, very little, with those of my friend. 

This infallibility leads to a favorable result. 
To begin with, in occupying myself with my 
own affairs, I shall the more speedily accom- 
plish them, while my friend is doing the same. 

If he appeals to me for help, I will go 
through both fire and water to serve him, but 
if not, then I do myself and him the greater 



112 GOLD DUST. 

service by abstaining. If, however, I can serve 
him without his knowledge of it, and I can see 
his need, then I must be always ready to do it. 

4. Leave my friend always at liberty to think 
and act for himself in matters of little import- 
ance. Why compel him to think and act with 
me? Am I the type of all that is beautiful 
and right? Is it not absurd to think that 
because another acts and thinks differently to 
myself, he must needs be wrong? No doubt I 
may not always say, "You are right," but I 
can at any rate let him think it. 

Try this recipe of mine, and I can answer for 
it your friendship will be lasting. 

XL 

BENEATH THE EYE OF GOD, GOD ONLY. 

As you read these words, are you not con- 
scious of an inward feeling of peace and quiet- 
ness? 

Beneath God's Eye, there is something in 
the thought, like a sheltering rock, a refresh- 
ing dew, a gleam of light. 

Ah ! why always such seeking for some one 
to see me, to understand, appreciate, praise 
me? 

The human eye I seek is like the scorching 
ray that destroys all the delicate colors in the 




Parable of the lost piece of money. 

Gold Dutt. 



GOLD DUST. 113 

most costly material. Every action that is 
done, only to be seen of others, loses its fresh- 
ness in the sight of God: like the flower, that 
passing through many hands, is at last hardly 
presentable. 

Oh ! my soul, be as the desert flower, that 
grows, blooms, and flourishes unseen in obedi- 
ence to God's Will, and cares not whether the 
passing bird perceives it, or the wind scatters 
the petals, scarcely formed. 

On no account neglect the duty you owe to 
friendship, relatives, society, but remember 
each day to reserve some portion of it for your- 
self and God only. 

Remember always to do some actions that 
can be known to none but God. 

Ah ! how sweet to have God as our only Wit- 
ness. 

It is the highest degree of holiness; 

The most exquisite happiness; 

The assurance of an entry into heaven here- 
after. 

The mother that reserves all that is most 
costly for her child ; the child that prepares in 
secret some surprise for its mother, do not 
experience a joy more pure, more elevating, 
than the servant of God, who lives always in 
God's Presence, Whom alone they would 

Gold Dust. 8 



114 GOLD DUST. 

please ; or the loving heart that enclosing alms 
to some destitute family writes upon the cover, 
these words only, "In the name of the Good 
and Gracious God. ' ' 

The following lines were found on some 
scraps of paper belonging to some stranger: 
.... They have just told me of a poor desti- 
tute woman, I gave them ten pence for her ; it 
was my duty to set an example. 

And now, my God, for Thee, for Thy sake 
onl)^, I mean to send her five shillings, which 
I shall deduct from my personal expenses. 

.... To-morrow, Henry is coming to see 
me, that poor Henry I loved so dearly, but 
who has grown cold toward his old friend. 
He wished to grieve me, and little knows that 
I found it out. Help me, Lord, to remember 
I have forgiven him, and help me to receive 
him cordially. 

Thou alone knowest all I have suffered. 

.... What a happy day was yesterday! 
happy with regard to heavenly things, for alas ! 
my poor heart suffered. 

Yesterday was a Festival. The snow outside 
kept every one at home by their own firesides, 
and I was left lonely. . . . Ah ! yes, my heart 
felt sad, but my spirit was peaceful : I tried to 
talk to God, just as if I could really see Him 



GOLD DUST. 115 

at my side, and gradually I felt comforted, and 
spent my evening with a sweet sense of God's 

Presence What I said, what I wrote, 

I know not, but the remembrance of yesterday 
remains to me as some sweet refreshing per- 
fume. 

Perhaps at the Last Day all that will remain 
worth recording of a life full of activity and 
zeal, will be those little deeds that were done 
solely beneath the Eye of God. . . . 

My God, teach me to live with an abiding 
sense of Thy Presence, laboring for Thee, suf- 
fering for Thee, guided by Thee . . . and 
Thee alone! 

XIL 

My Duty Toward God. 

PRAYERS. 

Slow, recollected, persevering. 
Peaceful, calm, resigned. 
Simple, humble, trusting. 
Always reverent, as loving as possible. 
Charitable. Have I not always opportunity 
to give? to thank? 

SUBMISSION. 

To my lot and to my duty: they come from 
God, are ordained hy God, lead me to God, 



116 GOLD DUST. 

to neglect them is to estrange myself from 

Him. 
To the Guide of my soul : he has received 

the Holy Spirit in order to show me the 

way; he has God's Spirit to guide him. 
To my Parents: they have God's authority. 
To circumstances: they are arranged and 

sent by God. 

LABOR. 

Begun cheerfully. 
Continued perseveringly. 
Interrupted and resumed patiently. 
Finished perfectly and devoutly. 
Repose and care for the body; as in God's 
Sight; under God's protection. 

My Duty toward my Neighbor. 

GOOD EXAMPLE. 

By modest demeanor, and simple dress. 
By a smiling face, and pleasing manner. 
Always striving to give pleasure. 
Faithfully fulfilling every duty. 

GOOD WORDS. 

Zealous without affectation, encouraging, 
consoling, peaceful, joyful, loving. These 
are possible every day. 



GOLD DUST. 117 

GOOD DEEDS. 

Service rendered by alms ; by industry ; by 
influence. 

Ills remedied, by excusing, justifying, pro- 
tecting, defending, concealing faults and 
mistakes, if possible, by repairing them. 

Joys provided, for the mind, by a joyous 
manner; for the heart, by loving thanks; 
for the soul, by a word of Heaven. 

My Duty toward Myself. 

COURAGE. 

In trials and adversity, disturbance, sickness, 

failure, humiliations. 
Worries that trouble without reason. 
Ill temper controlled, in order not to pain 

others. 
After failures, to begin again. 
In temptations, to withstand them. 

ORDER AND METHOD. 

In my occupation, each at its appointed hour. 
In my recreation. 

In all material things, for my benefit. 
Shunning scruples and constraint, as much 
as caprice and folly. 



118 GOLD DUST. 



NOURISHMENT. 



Pious thoughts, read, meditated upon and 

sometimes written. 
Books, that elevate and excite love for all 

that is good and lovely. 
Conversations, that refresh, rejoice, and 

cheer, walks that expand the mind, as 

well as strengthen the body. 

XIII. 

THE POWER OF AN ACT OF LOVE TOWARD GOD. 

Have you ever reflected upon this? 

Let us consider the exact words that describe 
it. 

"I love Thee with all my heart, with all my 
soul, with all my strength, because Thou art 
so good, so infinitely good!" 

Try and repeat these words slowly, so that 
each may penetrate deep into your heart. 

Do you not feel moved, as if your whole 
being, in these words went forth to God, offer- 
ing to Him life itself? 

Do you not feel in making this Act of Love, 
you give far more than if you gave your wealth, 
influence or time; nay, rather does not this 
very act seem to bring you riches, strength, op- 
portunities, all that you possess? 



GOLD DUST. 119 

Picture to yourself, standing before you a 
child — a child perhaps who may have injured 
you deeply, and yet whose sincerity at this 
moment you cannot doubt, who is actuated 
neither by fear nor self-seeking, but simply by 
a penitent heart, and who comes to say to you 
words of love, such as those above, do you feel 
no emotion, no feeling of pity? 

I defy you to be without some emotion, not 
to feel your arms extending, perhaps in spite 
of you, to embrace this poor child, and not to 
answer: "I also love thee." 

I have yet another test to pu-t to you, poor, 
desolate, guilty, hopeless as you are, seeing 
only within and around you, fears, terror, and 
— ay, let me say it— damnation. 

I defy you to kneel and say these words, 
(laying a greater stress on them because of 
the repugnance you feel); "My God! I love 
Thee with all my heart, with all rny strength, 
with all my soul, above everything, because 
Thou art so good, so infinitely good!" and then 
not to feel that Jesus is moved with compas- 
sion, and not to hear His Voice, saying to you: 
"My child, I love thee also!" 

O Jesus, how can we find words in which to 
express the tenderness awakened in Thine 
Heart, by a word of love from one of Thy little 



120 GOLD DUST. 

ones! That Heart, so tender, gentle, sensitive,, 
and loving ! 

A sentence of Faber's may sound unnatural 
to us, so little spiritually-minded; he says, 
"God sometimes draws us to Him, and fills us 
with love for Him, not that He may love us, 
that He always does, but in order to make us 
feel how He loves us!" 

An Act of Love demands but a few moments. 
The whole of the day, even in the midst of 
labor, we an multiply it infinitely, and what 
wonders are wrought by each Act ! 

Jesus Himself is glorified, and He sheds 
abundant grace upon the earth. 

Our Guardian Angel, beholding us, listens, 
draws nearer, and makes us feel we have done 
right. 

The Angels above experience a sudden joy, 
and look upon us tenderly. 

Evil spirits feel their power diminished, and 
there is a moment of rest from the temptation 
that surrounds us. 

The choir of saints above renew their songs 
of praise. 

Each soul on earth feels the peace Divine. 

Ah ! which of us each day would not renew 
these Acts of Love to God ! 

Ah ! all who read these lines, pause for one 



GOLD DUST. 121 

moment, and from the bottom of your heart 
exclaim: **My God! I love thee! my God, I 
love Thee!" 

XIV. 

BE SERIOUS. 

A Statesman retiring from public life occu- 
pied himself in his latter days with serious 
thoughts. 

The friends who came to visit him, re- 
proached him with being melancholy. No, 
he replied, I am only serious. All around me 
is serious, and I feel the need that heart and 
mind should be in unison with my surround- 
ings. 

"For," he added, with such solemnity as to 
impress all present, *'God is serious as He 
watches us. Jesus is serious when He inter- 
cedes for us. The Holy Spirit is serious when 
He guides us. Satan is serious when he tempts 
us. The wicked in hell are serious now, be- 
cause they neglected to be so when on earth ; 
all is serious in that world whither we are 
wending. ' ' 

Oh ! my friends, believe me, it is all true ; 
let us at least at times be serious in our 
thoughts and in our actions. 



122 GOLD DUST. 

XV. 

CONSOLATION. 

You distress yourself sometimes, poor thing! 
because amongst those who surround you, 
there are one or two who worry and annoy 
you. They do not like you, find fault with 
everything you do, they meet you with a 
severe countenance and austere manner, you 
think they do you harm, you look upon them 
as obstacles to your doing good. 

Your life passes away saddened, and faded, 
and gradually you become disheartened. 
Courage! instead of vexing yourself, thank 
God; these very persons are the means of pre- 
serving you from humiliating faults, perhaps 
even greater sins. 

It is like the blister the doctor applies, to 
draw out the inflammation that would kill. 

God sees that too much joy, too much hap- 
piness, procured by those little attentions for 
which you are so eager, would make you care- 
less and slothful in prayer ; too much affec- 
tion would only enervate, and you would cling 
too much to earthly things; so in order to pre- 
serve your heart in all its tenderness and sim- 
plicity. He plants there a few thorns, and cuts 
you off from all the pleasures you fancy yours 



GOLD DUST. 123 

by right. God knows that too much praise 
would cause pride, and make you less forbear- 
ing to others, and so He sends instead humili- 
ations. Let them be, then, these persons who 
unconsciously are doing God's work within 
you. 

If you cannot love them from sympathy, 
love with an effort of the will, and say to God : 
"My God, grant that without offending Thee, 
they may work my sanctification. I have need 
of them." 

XVI. 

HOLY COMMUNION. 

The result of good Communion is, within, a 
fear of sin, without, a love for others. 

Holy Communion is a great aid to sanctifica- 
tion. 

Jesus visits the soul, working in it, and fill- 
ing it with His Grace, which is shed on all 
around, as the sun sheds forth its light, th6 
fire gives out its heat. 

It is impossible but that Christ, thus visiting 
the soul, should not leave something Christ- 
like within, if only the soul be disposed to re- 
ceive it. Fire, whose property is to give 
warmth, cannot produce that effect unless the 
body be placed near enough to be penetrated 
with the heat. 



124 GOLD DUST. 

Does not this simple thought explain the 
reason, that there is often so little result from 
our frequent Communions? 

Do you long at each Communion to receive 
the grace bestowed by Christ, that shall little 
by little fit you for heaven hereafter? 

Will you, receiving thus the God of Peace 
within, have for those around you kind words 
that shall fill them with calmness, resignation, 
and peace? 

Will you, receiving thus the God of Love, 
gradually increase in tenderness and love that 
v/ill urge you to sacrifice yourself for others, 
loving them as Christ would have loved them? 

Will you, receiving Him, you rightly name 
the Gracious God, become yourself gracious, 
gracious to sympathize, gracious to forbear, 
gracious to pardon, and thus in a small way 
resemble the God who gave Himself for thee? 

This should be your resolve, when about to 
communicate. 

Resolved to obey God's Commandments in 
all their extensiveness, never hesitating in a 
question of duty, no matter how hard it may 
be ; the duty of forgiving and forgetting some 
injustice or undeserved rebuke; accepting 
cheerfully a position contrary to your wishes 
and inclinations; application to some labor, 



GOLD DUST. 125 

distasteful, and seemingly beyond your 
strength. 

If your duty seems almost impossible to ful- 
fil, ask yourself, "Is this God's Will for me?" 
and if conscience answers yes, then reply also, 
I will do it. 

All difficulties vanish after Holy Commu- 
nion. 

Generous ; depriving yourself those days of 
Communion, of some pleasures which though 
harmless in themselves, you know, only too 
well, enfeeble your devotion, excite your feel- 
ings, and leave you weaker than before. Gen- 
erous means doing over and above what duty 
requires of us. 

Conscientious and upright; not seeking to 
find out if some forbidden thing is really a sin 
or not, and whether it may not in some way 
be reconciled to conscience. 

Oh! how hurtful are these waverings be- 
tween God and the world, duty and pleasure, 
obedience and allurements. Did Jesus Christ 
hesitate to die for you? and yet you hesitate! 
Coward ! 

Humble and meek; treading peacefully the 
road marked out for you by Providence, some- 
times weeping, often suffering, but free from 
anxiety, awaiting the loving support that never 



126 GOLD DUST. 

fails those who trust, and renew their strength 
day by day. Living quietly, loving neither 
the world, nor its praise, working contentedly 
in that state of life to which you are called, • 
doing good, regardless of man's knowledge and 
approval, content that others should be more 
honored, more esteemed, having only one 
ambition ; to love God, and be loved by Him. 
If this be the disposition of your soul, then 
be sure, each communion will be blessed to you, 
make you more holy, more like Christ, with 
more taste and love for the things of God, 
more sure of glory hereafter. 

XVII. 
After Holy Communion. 

SELF SACRIFICE. 

Lord, take me, and lead me whithersoever 
Thou wiliest! 

Is it Thy will, that my life be spent in the 
midst of such incessant toil, and tumult, that 
no time is left for those brief moments of 
leisure, of which I sometimes dream? 

Yes ! yes ! I wish it also ! 

Is it Thy Will, that lonely and sorrowful, I 
am left on earth, while those I loved have 
gone to dwell near Thee above? 

Yes! yes! I wish it also! 



GOLD DUST. 127 

Is it Thy Will, that unknown by all, misun- 
derstood even by those whose affection I prize, 
I am looked upon as useless, on account of my 
stupidity, want of manner, or bad health? 

Yes! yes! I wish it also! 

Thou art Ruler. Oh! my God! only be 
Thyself the Guide, and abide with me forever ! 

MY MEMORY. 

My Memory 1 the mysterious book — reflec- 
tion of that of eternity, in which at each mo- 
ment are inscribed, my thoughts, affections, 
and desires. 

Into Thy Hands, I commend it. Lord, that 
Thou alone mayest write there, Thou alone 
efface ! 

Leave there, Lord, the remembrance of my 
sins, but efface forever the pleasures that led 
to them — were I to catch but a glimpse of their 
enticing sweetness, I might again desire them. 
Leave there the sweet memories of childhood, 
when I loved Thee, with such simplicity, and 
my father, my mother, my family, were my 
sole affections. Those days when the slightest 
untruthfulness, or even the fear of having 
sinned, left me no peace, till I had confessed 
it to my mother. Those days, when I always 
felt my Guardian Angel near me, helping me 
in my work, and soothing my little troubles! 



128 GOLD DUST. 

Leave me the remembrance of my first sense 
of the Divine absolution when, my heart over- 
flowing with secret joy, I cried, I am forgiven, 
I am forgiven. 

And then the recollection of my first com- 
munion! oh! recall it to me. Lord, with its 
preparation so fearful, yet so loving- its joy, 
so calm, so holy, yet so sweet, that even now, 
the thought of it fills mine eyes with tears! 

Leave me the remembrance of Thy Benefits! 
each year of my life is crowned with bless- 
ings ... at ten . . . fifteen . . . eighteen . . . 
twenty years ... oh ! I can well recall all 
Thy goodness to me, my God! Yes, receive 
my memory, blot out all that can estrange me 
from Thee, and grant, that nothing apart from 
Thee may again find a place there! 



Oh ! by what false lights have I been daz- 
zled ! They showed me prayer as wearisome, 
religious duties too absorbing^ — frequent Com- 
munion as useless — social duties as a heavy 
bondage — devotion, the lot of weak minds and 
those without affection . . . Oh ! I knew well 
how false it was, and yet I let myself be half 
convinced. 

When have I ever been more zealous in labor, 



GOLD DUST. 129 

than those days when I had fulfilled all my 
religious duties? 

When, more loving and devout, than on the 
days of my Communions? 

When have I felt more free, more happy, 
than when having fulfilled all the duties of my 
social position? 

Lord ! receive my mind, and nourish it with 
Thy Truth ! 

Show me that apart from Thee, pleasures of 
the senses leave behind only remorse, disgust, 
weariness, and satiety; 

Pleasures of the heart cause anxiety, bitter- 
ness, rendings, and fears; 

Pleasures of the mind produce a void, vanity, 
jealousy, coldness, and humiliations! Teach 
me that all must pass away . . . that nothing 
is true, nothing is good, nothing is eternal, 
but Thou, Thou only, O my God, 

MY WILL. 

My deeds are the result of my will, and it is 
the will only, that makes them of any value. 

Oh ! then to begin with, I will learn submis- 
sion! What I wish, may not always be good 
for me, what I am bidden must be right. 

O Jesus! grant me the grace of obedience, 
and then let me be bidden many things : works 

Gold Dust. 9 



130 GOLD DUST. 

of piety, works of charity, self-renunciation, 
brilliant deeds, deeds that are ignored, in my 
family life, or wherever I may be, there are 
numberless calls for all of these ; Lord, behold 
Thy servant! may I be always ready, when 
Thou hast need of me. 

ALL THAT I HAVE. 

My God, how richly hast Thou blessed me ! 
Treasures of love, I offer them to Thee ! I 
have relations, dear ones, Thou knowest how 
I love them ... Ah, if it be Thy Will to take 
them from this world, before me, though I say 
it weeping, still I say it ; Thy Will be done ! 

I have friends ... If it be Thy Will they 
should forget me, think ill of me, leave me 
alone, with that loneliness of heart, so bitter 
and so keen ... I yield them to Thee ! 

I have worldly goods, that give me a certain 
degree of comfort, by affording me the means 
of helping others, poorer than myself . . . 
should it be Thy Will to deprive me of them, 
little by little, till at last I have only the bare 
necessaries of life left ... I yield them to 
Thee! 

1 have limbs, that thou hast given me. If it 
be Thy Will that paralysis should fetter my 
arms, my eyes no longer see the light, my 



GOLD DUST. 131 

tongue be unable to articulate, my God, I yield 
them to Thee! 

In exchange, grant me Thy Love, Thy 
Grace, and then . . . nothing more, only 
Heaven ! 

O Jesus, abandoned by all in the garden of 
Gethsemane, in need then of comfort and 
strength ; 

Jesus, Thou who knowest that at this mo- 
ment there are some on earth who have no 
strength, no comfort, no support, oh ! send to 
them some angel who will give them a little 
joy, a little peace! Oh! if only I might be that 
messenger! What must I suffer, Lord? 

If an outward trouble, or inward pain be 
needful, to make of me but for one moment 
a consoling angel, to some poor lonely heart, 
oh! however keen the pain, or bitter the 
trouble, I pray Thee, grant it to me, Jesus! 

O Jesus, in search of lips to tell the love Thou 
bearest for Thy children ; lips to tell the poor 
and lonely they are not despised, the sinful 
they are not cast away, the timid they are not 
unprotected. Oh, Jesus, grant that my lips 
may speak words of strength, love, comfort, 
and pardon. Let each day seem to me wasted, 
that passes without my having spoken of help 



132 GOLD DUST. 

and sympathy, without having made some one 
bless Thy Name, be it but a little child. 

O Jesus! so patient toward those who wear- 
ied Thee with their importunity and ignorance! 
Jesus, so long-suffering in teaching, and await- 
ing the hour of grace ! Jesus, grant that I may 
be patient to listen, to teach, though over and 
over again I may have to instruct the same 
thing. Grant me help, that I may always 
show a smiling face, even though the importu- 
nity of some be keenly felt, and if through 
physical weakness I manifest ennui or weari- 
ness, grant, O Jesus, that I may speedily make 
amends with loving words, for the pain I have 
caused. 

O Jesus! Who with infinite tact, didst await, 
seated at the roadside, the ogji^rtunity for 
doing good, simply asking a small service of 
the poor Samaritan woman. Thou wouldst save, 
and draw to Thee. 

O Jesus! grant that I may feel and under- 
stand all the pain, that timidity, shyness, or 
reserve, keep buried within the recesses of the 
soul. Grant me the tact and discretion that 
draws near without paining, that asks without 
repulsing, without humiliating, and thus en- 
able me to bring peace and comfort to the 
wounded heart. 



GOLD DUST. 133 

O Jesus! seeking some one as faithful dis- 
penser of Thy blessings, grant much to me, 
that I may have much to bestow on others. 

Grant that my hands may dispense Thine 
alms, that they may be as Thine, when Thou 
didst wash the feet of Thine Apostles, work- 
ing for all, helping all ; let me never forget, 
that like Thee, I am placed on this earth to 
minister, not to be ministered unto. 

Grant that my lips may speak comforting 
words and give forth cheering smiles, that I 
may be as the well by the roadside, where the 
weary traveler stoops to drink, as the shade 
of the tree whose branches laden with fruit 
are extended over all that pass beneath. 

O Jesus! to Whom all Thy children are so 
dear, and whatever they may be Thou carest 
for them, and rememberest they are the much 
loved children of God ! Oh ! grant that in all 
my intercourse with others, I may only see, 
love, and care for their souls, that soul for 
whom, O God, Thou hast died, who like my- 
self can call Thee Father, and with whom, 
near Thee, I hope to dwell, throughout the 
ages of Eternity. 



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WORKS: Hammond, Ind. 



W. B. CONKEY COMPANY'S PUBLICATIOKS 



1. Abb6 Constantin Hal6vy 

2. Adventures of a Brownie. ..Mulock 

3. All Aboard Optic 

4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 

Carroll 

6. An Attic Philosopher in Paris 

Souvestre 

6. Autobiography of Benjamin 

Franklin 

7. Autocrat of the Breakfast Table 

Holmes 

11. Bacon's Essays Bacon 

12. Barrack Room Ballads. . .Kipling 
18. Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush 

Maciaren 

14. Black Beauty Sewall 

15. Blithedale Romance. .Hawthorne 

16. Boat Club Optic 

17. Bracebridge Hall Irving 

18. Brooks' Addresses 

19. Browning's Poems Browning 

24. Childe Harold's Pilgrimage 
Byron 

25. Child's History of England 
Dickens 

26. Cranford Gaskell 

27. Crown of Wild Olives Ruskin 

30. Daily Food for Christians 

31. Departmental Ditties Kipling 

32. Dolly Dialogues Hope 

33. Dream Life Mitchell 

34. Drummond's Addresses 

Drummond 

37. Emerson's Essays, Vol. 1 

Emerson 

88. Emerson's Essays, Vol. 2 

Emerson 

39. Ethics of the Dust Ruskin 

40. Evangeline Longfellow 

43. Flower Fables Alcott 

46. Gold Dust Yonge 

49. Heroes and Hero Worship. Carlyle 

50. Hiawatha.. Longfellow 

51. House of Seven Gables 

Hawthorne 

62. House of the Wolf Weyman 

57. Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow 

Jerome 

68. Idylls of the King Tennyson 

59. Imitation ot Christ 
Thos. a'Kempis 

60. In Meraoriam Tennyson 

64. John Halifax Mulock 

67. Kept for the Master's Use 

Havergal 

68. Kidnapped Stevenson 

69. King of the Golden River.. Ruskin 

73. Laddie 

74. Lady of the Lake Scott 

75. Lalla Rookh Moore 

76. Let Us Follow Him.. .Sienkiewicz 

77. Light of Asia Arnold 



Light That Failed Kipling 

Locksley Hall Tennyson 

Longfellow's Poems 

Longfellow 

Lorna Doone Blackmore 

Lowell's Poems Lowell 

Lucile Meredith 

Marmion Scott 

Mosses from an Old Manse 

Hawthorne 

Natural Law in the Spiritual 

World Drummond 

Now or Never Coptic 

Paradise Lost Milton 

Paul and Virginia 

Saint Pierre 

Pilgrim's Progress Bunyan 

Plain Tales from the Hills 

Kipling 

Pleasures of Life Lubbock 

Prince of the House of David 

Ingraham 

Princess Tennyson 

Prueand I Curtis 

Queen of the Air Ruskin 

Rab and His Friends. . .Brown 
Representative Men. .Emerson 
Reveries of a Bachelor 

Mitchell 

Rollo in Geneva Abbott 

Rollo in Holland Abbott 

Rollo in London Abbott 

Rollo in Naples Abbott 

Roilo in Paris Abbott 

Rollo in Rome Abbott 

Rollo in Scotland Abbott 

Rollo in Switzerland. . .Abbott 
Rollo on the Atlantic. ..Abbott 

Rollo on the Rhine Abbott 

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam 

Fitzgerald 

Sartor Resartus Carlyle 

Scarlet Letter Hawthorne 

Sesame and Lilies Ruskin 

Sign of the Four Doyle 

Sketch Book Irving 

Stickit Minister Crockett 

Tales from Shakespeare 

O. and Mary Lamb 

Tanglewood Tales.. Hawthorne 

True and Beautiful Ruskin 

Three Men in a Boat. .Jerome 
Through the Looking Glass 

Carroll 

Treasure Island Stevenson 

Twice Told Tales. .Hawthorne 

Uncle Tom's Cabin Stowe 

Vicar of Wakefield. .Goldsmith 

Whitticr's Poems Whittier 

Wide, Wide World . . . .Warner 

Window in Thrums Barrie 

Wonder Book Hawthorne 



AUG 27 190Q 



